Chapter 202

Chapter 202: Temper

I ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍arrived here a little earlier than in the original work.

That ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍meant the Adol Ratel met and the Adol I met were a little different, and that the scenery here was also quite different from the description in the original work.

Though ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the thing most different from the original would be that person.

I ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍did not take my eyes off Archie, who was looking at me with eyes that did not even contain wariness.

Since ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the sentences describing him in the original work had been neither long nor many, there was quite a lot to observe.

When ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I did not open my mouth first, he crossed the bearskin and approached me.

Then he grabbed me by the hair and lifted me.

From his perspective, it probably was not very strong, but I had to feel as if my whole body were being dragged up.

“What is your purpose?”

“That’s a barbaric way to ask a question. Have you never thought that this is why people never stop coming to hunt you?”

At my sarcasm, Rea sprang to her feet, but Archie stopped her.

He loosened the hand holding my hair.

Thanks to that, I almost slammed my head into the floor, and I looked at him with a frown.

He looked down at me as if viewing an interesting creature, then opened his mouth.

“You do not look stupid enough not to understand that your life is in danger.”

“Archie, he might just be insane. No, he’s just insane.”

Rea presented another possibility, but quickly looked away at Archie’s gaze.

“You seem quite lenient with your subordinates.”

I asked that at her free-spirited appearance, but Archie seemed not to know the basics of conversation.

“Did you know from the beginning that it was a trap?”

Seeing how he only said what he wanted to say.

“Yes. I already knew you sometimes pretend to organize subjugation parties and lure humans in. I also knew you don’t keep alive the humans who fail to pass through.”

There was no reason to lie, so I answered simply.

“So, did you come here to avenge the dead humans?”

“No. It does feel a little unpleasant, but I’m not nosy enough to soothe the resentment of humans whose faces I don’t even know.”

Perhaps displeased by my answer, he furrowed his brow.

“Why would a human who needs neither honor nor revenge come here on his own feet?”

“To talk.”

To be precise, to find out what I wanted to know.

“You risked your life to talk with monsters?”

Perhaps my answer was truly absurd, because a small sneer caught on Archie’s face.

He seemed to agree with Rea.

It meant he had concluded that I was insane.

“I may not look at it, but I’m somewhat experienced in this. I’ve dealt with bastards even harder to talk to than you. And I don’t have much time either.”

Ratel would soon arrive here with the holy object.

Before that, there was a lot I needed to hear from this bastard.

So I would use what I knew as efficiently as possible.

Looking at Archie, whose eyes did not waver, I opened my mouth.

“Isn’t it the same for you?”

Archie still showed no change in expression.

But that did not mean my words held no meaning.

“Rea, go outside.”

“Pardon?”

At the sudden order to leave, Rea asked back stupidly, unlike herself.

“I told you to go outside.”

When Archie said it firmly once more, she slowly moved with a face that showed she did not accept it at all.

Of course, she did not forget to glare at me once right before opening the tent flap.

Archie did not take his eyes off me until the sound of her footsteps had completely faded.

This confrontation continued for a little longer even after the moment Rea’s footsteps were no longer audible to me.

And the moment I blinked, I had to exhale at the powerful force choking my neck.

Archie had stretched out his hand at a speed my eyes could not follow and seized my throat.

The strength that had tugged my hair earlier really had been something like flicking a finger from this bastard’s perspective.

I had not wanted to learn that in this way.

In the original work, he had been described as one of the more tolerant werewolves toward humans, so the root of the problem was that I had let my guard down a little.

“Kgh......! Let...... go.”

I spoke with difficulty, but Archie did not seem to have any intention of loosening his grip.

“Was this your purpose? To sow confusion among us and ultimately break us apart?”

“If that had been my purpose, don’t you think I would have been babbling about your secret everywhere the moment I arrived here?”

I spoke haltingly while trying to secure my airway.

“What I need is information and a compromise. It shouldn’t be a bad deal for you. I may even be able to help you realize the future you want.”

“As if you know what I want.”

“It can’t be a coincidence that your Adol came all the way here to find you at this exact time.”

The hand around my neck tightened.

“I do not trust human words. Your lies are endless.”

Archie said that without wavering.

It was not wrong, but I only had one life to waste stupidly acknowledging his words.

I had to escape the hand of the bastard who had no intention of keeping me alive when I knew his secret.

I let out one breath and drew up my power.

There was no point babbling words that would not get through to him.

At the very least, I had to change into an animal with a neck thick enough to escape his hand.

A bear should be suitable.

When my body suddenly grew larger, his stance collapsed slightly.

He quickly released the hand around my neck and stepped back, and I looked down at him from a slightly higher eye level.

Even Archie seemed surprised by this, because he stared at me blankly.

For safety, I considered staying in this form a little longer, but when my eyes met the bear’s head lying on the floor, that desire fled.

“What are you?”

When I returned to human form, he asked.

I thought he would know more than the orc leader, but it seemed he did not know as much as I had expected.

At any rate, seeing as he was not grabbing my throat first this time, it seemed his desire to kill me had faded a little.

Or perhaps he had judged that I was not a complete human.

Whatever it was, I had no desire to answer obediently, nor any reason to.

“I’m not answering anymore, you son of a bitch. Now it’s my turn to ask questions.”

I said that while feeling my sore throat.

It was something I said with the resolve that if he attacked again just to say what he wanted to say, I would not stay still.

However, making my resolve meaningless, Archie was looking at me as if to say I could speak if I had something to say.

I felt something was off at his suddenly changed attitude, but if he had become willing to listen to me, I had no intention of missing the chance.

There were things I had to confirm with him.

Why did he choose which humans to eat, despite hating humans and eating humans?

Why did he keep the captured humans here when he was not going to send them back?

Why had he not tried to find his son until now, even while his life was running out?

And despite that, why did he decide to die by Adol’s hand?

“Why don’t you eat the humans who pass through the cave?”

Because depending on that answer, I would make my choice.

Whether to change the future of the original work, or not change it.

Archie, who had been looking at me silently, finally opened his mouth.

“Follow me.”

I took that as meaning he would respond to the conversation from now on, and followed him.

***

Following behind Rea and Mona while tied up was very different from walking with Archie ahead of me.

Because the gazes directed at us and the air that had grown a little quieter gathered together to create tension.

Everyone was focused on Archie.

The gazes directed at him were mixed with respect and admiration.

Though there were also some among them who gave off a rough atmosphere.

As I slowly looked over them, I spotted a few people whose physiques were clearly different from the werewolves.

“Humans are mixed in here.”

At my words, Archie gave a small nod.

“Yes. They are the ones who safely passed through the cave and came out. Humans who have never killed anyone.”

“I think this is the second time I’m asking, but why do you keep those people alive?”

This time too, instead of answering, Archie led me on.

Thinking that the journey here might have been a little more comfortable if Adol resembled his taciturn nature even a little, I followed behind him.

The place where he stopped was before the tent farthest from Archie’s tent among the lined tents.

From up close, I could tell that it was a little smaller than the others and shabby.

This time too, Archie opened the tent flap without any real explanation.

Since there was no solid door, I could understand not knocking.

But shouldn’t he at least say that we were coming in?

Thinking it might be an unspoken rule among them that I did not know, I quietly followed him inside.

Right. These bastards have good ears, so they should at least know when someone is entering.

“Aaagh!!!”

At that moment, a short and intense scream came from inside.

When I turned my gaze, someone had fallen on the floor after landing on his backside.

It was by no means the reaction of someone who had expected someone to enter the tent.

I briefly suspected Archie had done something lacking in common sense, then realized why the man collapsed on the floor was so frightened.

He was human.

“Archie, what is the matter?”

And at that moment, someone rushed forward in front of him and stepped between Archie and the human.

It was a female werewolf.

Emotions and relationships were strange. Even without big movements or lengthy words, simply seeing two people stand together sometimes gave off an atmosphere revealing what they were to each other.

These two were the same.

They had not shown any particularly large action, but I could tell at a glance that they were worried about each other.

They looked exactly like family.

***

“Let go!”

Adol repeatedly kicked at Mona, who was gripping his nape firmly, but not a single kick landed.

The child’s heart was urgent.

Thinking that he had missed the leader of the werewolves, whom he had searched so hard for, right before his eyes, he could not possibly stay still.

To be precise, it was not that he had missed him, but that Archie had gone easy on Adol, but such things did not matter to Adol.

What mattered was paying Archie back.

However, if the world had gone the way Adol wanted, he would never have had to come all the way here to find Archie in the first place.

Adol had no choice but to go as Mona dragged him, to a prison located a little away from Archie’s tent.

And after seeing that prison with his own eyes, Adol’s struggling grew even fiercer.

“What is that? Are you saying you’re going to lock me in there?!”

Because it was ambiguous to even call it a prison.

It was more like a cage.

And one located between the lined tents at that.

If he went into a place like that, it was obvious he would become a spectacle for these monsters.

“Stop! I’d rather die by Archie’s hand!!!”

Adol screamed, seeing more and more werewolves gather the more he struggled.

He had not risked his life to come here in order to be treated like that.

Adol thrashed his body once more to escape Mona’s hand.

“......”

But Mona had no mercy.

He threw Adol into the prison.

By the time Adol raised himself again, the door had already closed and the latch had been locked.

The child slammed his body into the bars.

But this thing was not called a prison for nothing.

The bars shook a little, but did not break at all.

“Give up. It is made of wood stronger than rock.”

Mona looked down at the raging Adol and spoke calmly.

“Since he said not to starve you, I will leave your hands as they are.”

After adding that coldly, he turned away.

“What does that mean?!”

Adol asked, but Mona, having finished his work, did not look back.

“He said not to starve him!”

Adol, who had been staring helplessly at his back as he moved away with that shout of unclear meaning, realized it when he saw several werewolves creeping closer to the prison.

That shout had not been directed at him, but at these monsters gathered to watch him.

In their hands, which carried curiosity, mischief, and hostility mixed together, each held something a human could eat.