Chapter 207

Chapter 207: Uninvited Guest

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍one who saved the flustered female Werewolf and male human was Mona, who had come in looking for Archie.

“Archie, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍there has been a commotion because of that child...... sir.”

Mona, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍who had entered while making his report, let the end of his sentence trail as his gaze lingered on me for a moment.

“Why? ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍Did that young bastard cause a riot?”

“Yes. ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍He got into a dispute with the ones outside the cage.”

Mona, ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍who explained the situation calmly, paused for a moment and examined Archie’s expression.

Following his gaze, I also observed Archie’s face, but I could not find any particular change.

“What should we do? Even if we leave it like this, it will quiet down soon. Once the cause of the disturbance dies, the excited ones will come to their senses.”

What should we do?

Mona asked without taking his eyes off Archie.

His gaze clung to him so persistently that I grew curious what answer he wanted to obtain from Archie.

***

The kid standing at the center of the gathered Werewolves looked around while breathing roughly.

He was so worked up that despite the cold weather, I nearly mistook it for steam rising off him.

Judging that nothing good would come of leaving him like that, I was about to step forward, but immediately stopped.

Because the large figure standing before me took one step ahead toward the gathered Werewolf pack.

His pace was not particularly fast, and his footsteps were not loud either, but everyone’s gazes turned to Archie.

The taut tension that would not have made it strange if they charged at the kid at once changed direction and turned toward Archie.

“What happened?”

At Archie’s toneless question, the one closest to the kid rolled his eyes with a startled expression.

It would not be easy to look that blatantly suspicious.

“......That human bastard acted insolent, and the cage collapsed.”

Even though the explanation had skipped far too much of the middle, it was also a situation where it was obvious which side had picked a fight first.

Archie silently looked at the male Werewolf watching his reaction and Adol, who was throwing a piercing gaze at him.

The Werewolf was the one who reacted first to that quiet gaze.

“......I apologize for causing a commotion, Archie.”

Perhaps unable to endure any more confrontation with the leader, the bastard tucked his tail and admitted his fault.

Archie was still silent.

He had simply chosen an effective method of communication instead of words.

The bastard approached Adol without hesitation.

Before the kid could respond to the distance closing in one breath, Archie’s leg kicked him in the abdomen.

The kid’s body flew through the air and slammed into the ground.

Archie approached the bastard again as he struggled to breathe properly.

Looking down at Adol, who glared up at him with resentful eyes, Archie raised his foot again.

As if he would crush him at any moment.

Even then, Adol’s gaze showed no sign of leaving Archie’s face.

Whether that was bravery, foolishness, or both.

It was not as if he did not know the pain that was about to come.

Though Archie, who faced that gaze head-on and swung his foot without hesitation, did not seem much different.

The stupid fight over which of the two would avoid the other’s eyes first did not continue.

Archie’s attack did not touch the kid, and the sharp gazes of the father and son turned toward my hand, which had grabbed Archie’s leg.

Even though I had strengthened my muscles and grabbed him in my own way, my hand tingled.

It probably meant this was not violence that could be brushed off as a joke.

Archie pulled his foot free from my hand with similarly great strength, and without any sign of backing down, reached toward Adol crouched behind me.

“Isn’t this enough? Or do you enjoy hitting children?”

At my suggestion that he stop if not, the bastard tilted his head.

“I am the one who decides when to stop. That one is a human who came here for the first time, yet he attacked my pack, and I am handing down a punishment suitable for that.”

“You believe that a mere young human attacked such a huge bastard?”

Of course, I knew this small bastard was vicious enough to do that and more, but the truth was not what mattered in this kind of fight.

I turned my gaze toward one bastard who had only watched everything quietly.

The bastard who had been smiling as he observed Adol endure Archie’s rough punishment made a fierce expression as soon as our eyes met.

“I’m asking you. Were you really frightened because this young human threatened your life?”

“Who says I was frightened by that kind of bastard?”

The bastard, provoked, answered roughly.

Another Werewolf, who knew that his head functioned as more than a decoration, grabbed the bastard’s shoulder with a flustered face.

Not that doing so could take back the words he had already let out of his mouth.

Still, the fact that more bastards seemed to be taking his side than expected was not a very good situation.

“You think Archie is a joke, don’t you?”

Before the other one trying to stop him could interfere further, I quickly raised my voice.

“Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?!”

As expected of one who lived in a pack, the bastard was greatly flustered by an expression of defiance toward Archie.

Right. They had no choice but to be sensitive to hierarchy.

Even looking around, a few bastards were visibly frightened by the single sentence that he had deceived Archie.

“Archie, that is not true. I did not look down on Archie......”

“You said it with your own mouth. This kid was no threat to you. Or were you so scared that you bluffed?”

When I cut off the bastard’s rambling and asked again, he glared at me fiercely.

If he said no, he had deceived Archie, and if he said yes, he became a coward frightened by a human child.

The fact that his answer was late because of hesitation meant I had many chances to run my mouth.

“What? Then he didn’t do anything particularly threatening, but you collapsed the cage and surrounded him?”

“Th-that is......”

The bastard trailed off while sneaking a glance at Archie, then flinched at his quiet gaze.

“So you exaggerated trying to torment a young human for no particular reason into being attacked.”

“What does that even matter? In any case, it is true that everything happened because of that human bastard......”

“This bastard is seriously dangerous. If lying to your leader isn’t important, then what is? Or are Archie’s words that light to you?”

At my leap in logic, the bastard finally closed his mouth completely.

He seemed to have judged that running his mouth any more would not benefit him.

“The human child who was quietly locked up according to your command, and that bastard who falsely reported to you. Which of the two will you punish?”

When I turned my head to Archie, who was still watching us with an unreadable face, the bastard finally slowly opened his mouth.

“......Fix the cage.”

What came out was not an answer to my question, though.

“As for the two humans, have one of you guard each of them until the cage is fixed.”

His final words were instructions on how to handle me and Adol.

The bastard, who closed his mouth again, turned as he was and tried to leave.

“He lied to his leader. You aren’t punishing that bastard?”

When I asked as if I was wrong, Archie turned his head and glared at me.

“Did you think you would be treated the same as us, as a mere human?”

The bastard, rudely explaining that even here, humans should keep their mouths shut even if they were treated unfairly, moved his feet again.

There was no need to grab him right away.

That bastard would have something left to say to me anyway.

Once Archie moved away, Mona and the few who remained dispersed the other Werewolves.

I approached Adol, who was still sprawled on the ground.

“How long are you going to stay like that?”

“......Shut up. I’m really humiliated right now because I got beaten in front of the others.”

“You’re embarrassed about being beaten?”

“Wouldn’t I be? I charged in that noisily, and look at me now.”

“You have a lot to be embarrassed about. No one would have thought you’d win anyway.”

At my point, the bastard finally lifted his lowered head and glared at me.

“You’re provoking me right now, aren’t you? Saying I’m weak as hell and stupid?”

Whether he had lost heart and given up on himself, or whether he wanted comfort, there was no reason for me to go along with the bastard’s pessimism.

“It’s fine. There’s no law saying weaklings and idiots have to die.”

Not that that was a reason not to tease him.

“......Do you not even know how to comfort someone? At a time like this, you’re supposed to say I’m not weak and I’m not stupid.”

“How would I know whether you’re smart or strong? How long has it even been since we met?”

In truth, I knew this kid was not that weak, and that he was not as stupid as he thought.

But that was only because I knew his future self from the original work.

If I offered baseless comfort to Adol, who did not know the circumstances, this sensitive kid would obviously take even that as pity.

Teenagers in puberty are difficult in any world.

“......You say insane things every time, so why are you only right at times like this?”

Perhaps having nothing to say, the bastard muttered with a sullen face, then suddenly stiffened.

Because Mona and the bastard named Enil beside him were approaching after sorting out the situation.

Mona looked down at me and Adol, then gave Enil a signal with his eyes.

It was a rather inconsiderate command, but Enil seemed to understand what it meant right away.

The bastard closed the distance to Adol without hesitation and roughly grabbed the kid’s arm.

“What? Where are you dragging me off to now?!”

The problem was that the bastard was not the type to be quietly dragged away.

“What are you going to do sitting still here? After making the cage look like that.”

“Why do I have to be locked up?”

With a face that looked annoyed to death, Enil dragged along the chattering Adol.

“Because none of the humans have caused as much trouble as you. Do you think I want to be stuck with an annoying brat?”

When I tried to follow behind Adol, who was being dragged like a colt, Mona blocked my way.

“You follow me.”

“What? Why? Why are you separating us?”

Adol, who had been dragged away, had somehow shaken off Enil’s arm and came over, questioning him.

Enil, whose hand had suddenly been left clawing at empty air after holding Adol’s arm, stared at the kid with an absurd expression.

However, Enil had already fallen far out of Adol’s interest.

“You bothered me the most from the beginning. Earlier too. What are you plotting?”

“Archie gave an order not to keep the two humans together. You already seem far from obedient, and nothing good will come from deliberately putting the two of you together.”

Mona answered calmly and turned his gaze from Adol, who was grinding his teeth as if growling, to me.

“It would be best to follow obediently. Resisting here will not make a different result wait for you.”

At the statement of fact, which was similar to a threat, Adol’s expression grew even more ferocious.

“If you thought that kind of threat would work, then you’re greatly mista......”

“Sure. It’s not like I have any choices.”

When I answered while dragging Adol back as he tried to ram his head at Mona, the bastard’s flashing eyes turned toward me this time.

“Hey! How can you accept it that quietly?!”

“What do you mean, how? You just have to quietly follow Enil over there.”

“......Why are you so calm about everything? Did you forget what happened to me earlier? To begin with, that bastard Mona......”

I cut off the bastard as he glared at Mona, still unable to let go of his anger.

“What is there to be scared of? He isn’t a bastard who will disobey Archie’s orders anyway.”

I emphasized Archie’s orders and met Mona’s eyes, but the bastard only urged me on with silence and showed no particular reaction.

“I’m not scared at all of that annoying bastard. I’m not that kind of coward.”

Perhaps the word scared grated on him severely, because Adol forgot the direction of his anger and answered back.

“Did I say you were? There’s probably no one here who doesn’t know you’re recklessly brave. Thanks to that scene you caused earlier.”

“Hmph. If needed, I can cause another one.”

It seemed like he was speaking to me, but judging by how his gaze was fixed on Mona, I could guess whom Adol’s warning was directed at.

“Is that right? Then there’s something you need to do for me now.”

What is it?

As if telling me to say it at once, the bastard turned his head away from Mona and looked back at me.

“From now on, quietly follow Enil. And......”

“And?”

“Go wherever that bastard guides you and just stretch out your legs and sleep.”

“What?”

The bastard’s face crumpled as if this were absurd.

“Are you joking? Just sleep? You’re saying something complacent again. What are you going to do if you get dragged off like this and die?”

Why has this bastard been talking on the assumption that I’ll die since earlier? It’s ominous.

Forcing away the feeling that the bastard seemed to regard my life as something worth no more than a fly’s, I opened my mouth.

“If you want to become strong and smart enough to satisfy yourself tomorrow, you need to rest well and sleep, don’t you? It’s not like you’re only going to live for today.”

To grow as much as he had in the original work, he would need to diligently eat and sleep from now on.

For some reason, no scolding came flying at me for saying nonsense again.

Feeling puzzled by the bastard having become obedient, I continued speaking.

“Besides, that bastard can’t kill me yet. Archie gave an order.”

After patting the quiet bastard’s head, I turned toward Mona, who had kindly been waiting for me.

It seemed the bastard’s face had stiffened subtly, but I could not confirm it.

Because Mona, who had returned to being expressionless before I knew it, turned away as he was.

It was the moment I thought that if I provoked him now, I might draw out some other reaction.

“......Then you have to come back tomorrow morning. Don’t scrape that bastard’s nerves for no reason.”

At the booger-sized voice of the kid coming from behind me, I closed my mouth again and decided to quietly follow behind Mona.

Because there was nothing good in making a bastard, whether he had good sense or good instincts, even more uneasy.

***

“Ah, I said I’m not running away! Even if I get out of here, there’s nowhere to run anyway, so where would I go?! Hey! Are you listening to me?!”

The moment they entered the tent, Enil, his ears aching from the meaningless struggling of Adol with both arms tied, quickly moved away from Adol.

“Did you cause that much of a fuss earlier because there was a place to run? Besides, you said it with your own mouth. That you can rampage as much as you want if needed.”

Enil, who answered with a face that said this was pathetic, checked once more whether Adol’s hands were tightly bound and continued.

“By the way, you really are something. Among all the humans dragged here until now, I think you’re the most fearless and lively. Are all young humans like you?”

“Judging by how you bastards act, even your young ones probably wouldn’t be any less than me.”

At Adol’s sullen reply, Enil shrugged.

“No. We aren’t unstable like you humans, so we are born in this form. The moment we gain consciousness, we can climb cliffs.”

How very impressive.

Adol muttered and watched Enil leave the tent.

And as soon as he completely disappeared, Adol exhaled and leaned his body against the pillar.

Too many things had happened today for him to keep his body straight out of sheer stubbornness.

Well, today really has been too long.

He had somehow ended up traveling with some crazy bastard, and had only gotten beaten to his heart’s content by the leader he had wanted so badly to land one good blow on.

At the draining memories surfacing again, strength naturally entered Adol’s hands.

This had not been the plan.

Originally, today he was supposed to land at least one satisfying blow on that bastard, and then, and then......

In truth, he had not thought deeply about what came after that.

It was a path he had taken prepared to die, and it was also a path he had rushed onto because he felt he had to do something right away.

If there was a problem, it was that he had met some crazy bastard while walking with only anger and spite held in both hands.

-Just stretch out your legs and sleep.

Along with the illusion that the voice spouting calm nonsense was circling around his ears, Adol loosened the strength in his stiff body.

To be precise, it would be more accurate to say it loosened.

The words spoken by the madman who had barged into his vague plan always chipped away at his fighting spirit like this.

Even while some part of his heart knew that all the madman’s nonsense was sophistry, for some reason, Adol could not ignore him.

Adol guessed that the reason came from the bastard’s baseless confidence.

Because in that face that asserted he would not die, not a trace of anxiety could be found.

When that shameless face came to mind, even the little anxiety that had remained vanished.

Once his stiff body fully relaxed, his eyelids suddenly felt heavy.

Perhaps thanks to that, or instead of that, beyond his blurring consciousness, the man’s final nonsense circled his ears again.

-If you want to become strong and smart enough to satisfy yourself tomorrow, you need to rest well and sleep, don’t you? It’s not like you’re only going to live for today.

The words he had thought were nonsense seemed, now that he thought about it, as if they might be right.

Today had already been lived, and it was not as if tomorrow would not come.

As if, just as Ran said, he had been given permission to put everything down and rest for a while, Adol slowly closed his eyes and began to let go of the thread of consciousness.

He felt as if he could fall asleep peacefully today.

***

If not for someone entering the tent with their footsteps silenced.