Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Bulletin Board Has Become Very Warm
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The Bulletin Board had grown lively with discussions about volume 2 of Senyora of the Back Alleys.
Those who had successfully purchased volume 2 immediately dove into reading it.
And some even left short reviews on the Bulletin Board as they read.
Most people usually immersed themselves fully while reading, but there are always those who want to share their experiences right away.
Especially when they can share instantly, unbound by time or space.
Name's Karen, a red-haired female character.
The one from volume 1 who was pleading her innocence to the police right at the end.
Plot-wise, it looks like Senyora's gonna help her out...
Her personality's kinda crappy though.
She's the one getting help, but she grumbles like crazy.
So do I have to watch that Karen nag at Senyora the whole way through volume 2?
At least half of volume 2, if not more?
Whoa, that sounds frustrating as hell.
Honestly, yeah, kinda.
Wait.
Nah.
It actually makes total sense.
?
Why?
Please explain before you go!
Can't explain why, but...
Honestly, her attitude was pretty rude...
But I'm just not mad anymore. My heart's already all in deep.
Think about it—people get wary of strangers sometimes.
Maybe I was wrong for trying to get mad all this time...
From what's described in the novel, Karen's actually treating her pretty well as it is.
The fact that she didn't tell her to get lost when she offered to help says a lot.
Right?
What the hell, why is everyone like this?
Can't explain it with words.
You'll get it the moment you see it.
Just tell me now, pleaseeeee.
I'll explain for you. There's an illustration of Karen, and her body's amazing. That's why everyone's like this.
More details, please...!
Bust and hips are huge, of course. Slim waist, and the thighs are drawn perfectly.
Whoa...
Talk about Karen came up first.
It started with gripes like "What's up with her attitude?" and was heating up when suddenly the illustrations dropped, extinguishing most of the anger.
It's a universal truth: the same actions get a pass as "believable character traits" if the character's cute.
Plus, on a sober note, Karen's attitude ranked pretty high among how humans typically treat Beastkin, earning her some leniency.
Of course, there were still folks who just didn't like Karen.
Quite a few had immersed themselves from Senyora's perspective, after all. But...
Karen not guilty.
She saved Senyora's life.
There was a description of her warming up to Senyora.
And not that it matters much, but there's a scene where Senyora's cradled in her arms, tail wagging happily.
Dude, that last bit was the real clincher.
In the end, since disliking Karen for not liking Senyora had been the biggest issue, the moment descriptions of her opening up appeared, things quieted down somewhat.
And yeah, the illustrations pulled their weight again.
A novel with no illustrations up to volume 1 suddenly had them pop up.
And the quality was noticeably better than other novels.
Not just "well-drawn"—they were packed with details that tickled something deep inside,
so the effect was crystal clear, enough to soften even the parts of the plot that rubbed people the wrong way.
On top of that, they parted on a heartwarming note after exchanging names, so reactions were that it was a solid episode.
Karen's wary of Senyora, but not for any special reason—just swept up in societal vibes.
Senyora usually avoids humans, but she doesn't fundamentally hate them.
Karen initially tries to handle things on her own even when Senyora offers help, then gradually opens up.
Eventually, they save each other.
Isn't this the ideal relationship humans and Beastkin could have?
Less "ideal" and more unrealistically optimistic, imo.
Can't imagine humans who only find Beastkin gross or Beastkin who don't hate humans.
Honestly, are there still that many people hating Beastkin these days? Perceptions have improved, right?
Improved, sure, but Bulletin Board opinions are loud. Still plenty of haters, especially older gens who dealt with Beastkin directly.
And Beastkin liking humans? No way... Humans are the species Beastkin wanna kill on sight.
True, if I were a Beastkin, I wouldn't suddenly like humans just 'cause they say they don't hate us anymore.
Talk about John—the side character cop—popped up a bit too.
Not a ton, since his role's minor and he's pretty flat.
Does exactly what he needs to, no more, no less.
Small role, but he gives good breathers whenever Karen's grumbling gets too much.
Cops in novels are usually corrupt AF and half-ass everything, right?
Why doesn't he yell at Senyora? Tell her to butt out and pin Karen as the perp?
Why thank her at the end? Shouldn't he just shrug and send her off?
Historical accuracy's a letdown...
Won't be surprised if the cop uncle shows up later yelling "You brat!"
Gasp gasp gasp
Everything up to here was great. Solid length, met expectations fully.
The fact that plenty was left to read kept readers happy.
Until they realized the back half had some... seriously dizzying developments.
Senyora catches a pickpocket stealing a money pouch and running off.
Name's Rika, a dog Beastkin, and there's an illustration...
But it shows signs of abuse...? Swollen cheek, bruises everywhere,
empty eyes, bruises on her neck too... This is pretty horrific...
Has massive debt she can't repay on her own.
Multiple signs of abuse.
Does all the dangerous jobs the lender orders to pay it off.
Gets beaten if she doesn't complete them satisfactorily.
Starving, steals Senyora's money pouch, but even that's taken from her.
Can't even resent humans in this state. She's completely broken.
Is this right...?
The Bulletin Board erupted.
The mood shifted hard. I came for Senyora's cute moments—why this?
What was the author thinking with this plot?
And worst, folks who hadn't bought the novel yet were only seeing it through these posts, fanning the flames.
That said, Senyora of the Back Alleys was never exactly hopeful—Senyora's charm just overshadowed the grit.
And some knew that well. They understood her character shone brightest against dark reality.
So they tried to calm things down. They were uneasy too, but wanted to keep the author from breaking and running.
In the end, healthy discussion only kicked off after a few days.
During that time, Warrenberg seriously considered ditching the publishing house and going into hiding—a funny anecdote, whatever.
And the consensus from those discussions boiled down to three main opinions.
Everyone's freaking 'cause they're scared it'll go weird from here.
Like Senyora suddenly filled with negative thoughts.
But assuming it resolves in vol 3, this buildup is delicious.
New bonds early/mid-volume,
introduce shaky new character Rika late-game,
then a redemption arc for girls like her would be peak.
How do you resist a hopeless girl finding hope?
And Senyora's mental shake-up is why we read this.
Wait for vol 3. Plenty of time to complain then.
Vol 2 is well-written. Immersive plot, charming characters.
Rika's shocking at first, but grows on you—wanna protect her big time.
Senyora aside, can't imagine bullying Rika. Just want her happy.
But that's 'cause vol 3 might tank hard...
Yeah, precedents make it scary, but
If we mess up here, author might mentally break and bail...
Ah...
So conclusion's wait for next vol again?
Yep.
Then Aren's the real problem for not writing the next one yet?
...Yeah?
Aren you bastard, write vol 3 NOWWWW
Volumes 1-2 were solid. Wait for 3 for a fair judgment, went the consensus.
Been depicting human-Beastkin relations so nuancedly till now...
Suddenly humans are total trash, Beastkin pure victims...
Feels too flat now...
Same...
No arguments here.
What if Aren outs himself as a Beastkin sharing personal experience?
...I'd buy it.
Can't argue with personal experience...
And criticism for suddenly demonizing humans out of nowhere.
The second opinion resonated widely, with no signs of reversal.
Vol 2 details the exact spot where Senyora meets Rika.
Heading there on my day off.
Fighting~
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