Chapter 232

Chapter 232: Our Side

The ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍Werewolf carrying Alec and one other human on each shoulder moved away from the tent at an astonishing speed.

Alec, ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍hanging from his shoulder like a piece of luggage, soon realized that the woman’s body was fluttering unnaturally over the opposite shoulder.

Looking ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍closely, she was unconscious.

“If ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍you don’t stay quiet, I’ll have no choice but to knock you out too.”

Perhaps ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍he felt Alec’s body stiffen, because the Werewolf muttered.

“N-no. ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‍I’ll stay still. I couldn’t run away on my own legs anyway.”

Since he did not want to flutter like a kite with its string cut, nor did he want to lose consciousness in this dangerous situation, Alec answered quickly.

At the same time, realizing that the man could speak as if nothing were wrong while running, Alec carefully opened his mouth again.

“But why are you helping us?”

“Should I have left you behind?”

At the Werewolf’s stiff question, Alec hurriedly shook his head.

“No, no. It’s just too unexpected. I didn’t think you would step forward to help.”

The Werewolf’s eyes touched Alec briefly before looking forward again.

“It’s not that strange. Naria risked her life for you.”

When an unexpected name came from his mouth, Alec’s eyes widened.

“What do you know, saying she risked her life?”

“It has been quite a while since Mona gathered the ones whose wishes don’t align with Archie’s. The bastards who hate humans didn’t like what Archie was doing now, so gathering them wasn’t difficult. Naria deliberately entered Mona’s group and secretly watched the situation. Even though she’s afraid of Mona.”

The man answered as if it was nothing, but Alec felt dizzy.

Naria had known everything and deliberately followed Mona around?

Then did she also know that Mona intended to gather the Werewolves and kill the humans?

“But Naria never told me anything like that.”

“She wouldn’t have. She must have been planning to secretly get you out of here.”

This time too, the man answered as if speaking of something trivial, and Alec once again had to feel as if the back of his head had been struck.

“......Are you saying Naria is in danger because of me right now?”

“That was her choice.”

The Werewolf, who spoke as if it was nothing, increased his speed.

It seemed like he was telling him to shut his mouth now, but Alec had no intention of ending the conversation here.

“Wait. Then does that mean you people risked your lives too, like Naria?”

As Alec stubbornly continued speaking and bit his tongue several times, the Werewolf opened his mouth with a sigh.

“It is not a problem that needs to be thought of so complicatedly. We simply do not want to pretend not to see even problems we can solve. We cannot do anything about you bastards getting sick inside and dying on your own, but we can pull you out of danger that has substance.”

“So why are you people doing that......?”

“Is that strange?”

The words that it was not just strange, but seemed insane, rose all the way to Alec’s chin and fell back down.

Because a belated realization struck the crown of his head at that moment.

The realization that perhaps the others too had become attached to humans.

When Alec, who had lost his footing in shock, finally fell quiet, the Werewolf did not miss the chance now that there was no longer any danger of Alec biting his tongue, and increased his speed even further.

When the wind rose strongly enough to make his eyes sting, Alec, who had been blank, came to his senses.

“Then why did you bring me out? I’ve never even had a proper conversation with you.”

“I brought you because of Naria. Because she wanted to send you outside.”

He answered simply this time too.

“Send me outside? I have no intention of doing that. Here, here......”

Alec, who had been speaking urgently, trailed off.

What was he supposed to do here?

Live for the rest of his life?

In truth, his current situation was a life embarrassing to even describe as living.

He could not even remember when he had last spent a day at ease without constantly watching the Werewolves’ reactions.

If things continued this way, he would wither away and end his life early like the others.

But that did not mean he wanted to live separated from Naria.

Nor had he wanted Naria to sacrifice herself to send him outside.

In his complicated mind, only one thing was desperate.

Right now, he simply wanted to talk with Naria.

While Alec fell into confusion, the Werewolves each carrying humans on their shoulders or in their arms had already reached the cliff.

The group that had fled first had already gone upward long ago to avoid the unidentified black substance.

Alec narrowed his eyes and looked up.

If they climbed like this, they would clearly run into them.

Then a fight would break out again, and it was a fixed course that this time, it would be a fight where blood splattered.

But that did not mean they could ignore the darkness drawing closer and closer.

Alec looked back and forth between the distant cliff above and below, where the black substance was following, then let out a sigh.

“Do you think the Werewolves who went ahead escaped outside the cave?”

“Even if there are bastards who ran, they will eventually return. We cannot go far from the village. Besides, they will not want to miss this chance either. It will be easier for them to get rid of all of us before Archie returns.”

At the peaceful voice, as if reciting a boring poem, Alec furrowed his brow.

“Archie did not seem to intend to kill humans. Rather, he looked as if he was trying to save them. Did they know that too?”

“If it is Mona, perhaps. The rest are bastards who are awkward at using their heads, but Mona is different.”

“Come to think of it, I have not seen Mona since earlier.”

Even when the Werewolves surrounded the humans, Mona did not reveal himself.

Did he go up with his comrades, mixed among the others who fled?

It had been a situation where Alec had no mind to look around, so he could not remember clearly.

“Maybe he followed Archie and got eaten by that thing. I truly hope so.”

He spoke in a voice far from desperate, then stopped walking for a moment and exchanged glances with the comrades around him.

Alec thought he seemed to be conveying that they should climb up.

Well, there was no other way.

“I do not think Mona would have died that easily. He may have gone up with his comrades in the confusion.”

Alec said it while trying to make his voice sound calm, but the man remained relaxed.

“Then it will become a little more troublesome.”

His tone felt not merely calm, but almost leisurely.

“This is a complicated problem. Because you helped humans, you will end up fighting your own comrades.”

“No. There is no problem as simple as this.”

His gaze, which answered this time too as if it was nothing, briefly turned toward the woman hanging over his opposite shoulder.

It was only a brief moment, and all Alec could see was the back of his head, but somehow, Alec felt he could not easily make a sound, so he silently waited for him to withdraw his gaze.

Without saying anything else, he began swiftly climbing the cliff.

“You said this is a simple problem, but this is also a problem tied to Archie and the leader’s position. They intend to kill Archie and put Mona in the new leader’s seat. It will not end as a simple fight within the pack.”

“Things like that are none of you humans’ concern, so it is a simple problem.”

“How can it not concern us? This happened because of us.”

When Alec surged up and demanded an answer, the corner of the Werewolf’s mouth rose slightly.

“Right. To be exact, it is no longer your concern. Because you will go outside. You can simply run away without thinking about what comes after, so there is nothing complicated.”

“What?”

Alec raised himself and briefly lost his words in shock at the way the man slowly changed.

The man’s body grew larger, fur began rising over his body, and sharp fangs grew from his lengthening snout.

He had seen Naria change several times, so he had thought he had grown used to it, but when he was with a monster at this distance after all, there was no helping his body stiffening.

Whether Alec was frightened or not, the man, uninterested, began climbing the cliff faster with his larger body.

“I do not know the reason, but if Archie is trapped inside that, this is a chance for us too. Because we can send the humans out secretly without Archie knowing. Once we enter the cave, I will open a path somehow. You stay close behind me and follow. And take this woman and run outside. Once you leave the cave, you can return to where you originally lived.”

Only now did Alec realize the true reason he had brought him out, despite having never properly spoken with him.

He was saying he would fight his comrades and return freedom to him and the woman.

At the same time, he was telling Alec to leave with this woman.

Probably for the same reason Naria had risked her life for him.

Unable to describe the feeling, Alec looked at the Werewolf without speaking.

“There is no need to look at me like that. I told you, it is simple. You are merely going back to how things were originally. In the first place, you were deceived by us and captured.”

The words that he too had been captured while trying to hunt them circled inside Alec’s mouth.

But when he thought of the humans who had died and the torment they had suffered until now, the words did not easily come out.

Most of all, he could not carelessly refuse the offer to send the other people outside.

“Run far away and live mixed among humans again. Naria must have wanted that too.”

The Werewolf spoke as if he had seen through Alec’s mind.

Or perhaps he had no interest in Alec’s inner thoughts at all.

As Alec listened to him blankly, he found several Werewolves climbing the cliff with him.

“Do the other Werewolves think the same?”

“The ones climbing up looking similar to us now are all bastards who wanted to send the humans out.”

“......So you are all prepared to fight.”

“It was a fight that was already decided from the moment humans were captured anyway. It was something that would happen someday. It is better to remove humans entirely from it here.”

“But you or the other Werewolves could die while we go out.”

“That is not a problem for you to care about. This is a problem of our race.”

“How is this your problem! Whatever the case, we became the excuse for the fight.”

Unable to hold back, Alec raised his voice.

But this too seemed to be nothing more or less than a dog barking to the other.

“Have you forgotten that humans being captured in the first place was also our problem? You are noisy, so shut your mouth now.”

After dismissing Alec’s words, he deliberately began climbing the cliff with rougher movements.

Freedom was drawing closer and closer, but his heart grew infinitely heavy.

Even at a glance, there were not many Werewolves who sided with humans.

It was correct to say they were very few compared to the Werewolves who would be waiting above the cliff.

Even if he could go outside again, he knew that if he left by stepping over their deaths, his body might be free, but his heart would not be.

“Can’t you just run away with us?”

This time, perhaps the question was rather funny, because he burst into a small laugh.

“We cannot leave this place. It is impossible for us to leave the place where we were born.”

“Then you can run away with the humans and come back again.”

“......Naria really did take charge of an unusual human.”

After muttering, he continued in a slightly gentler tone.

“The moment we run away with you, we become traitors. We can never return. Because whether it is Archie, or Mona, who will become the next leader, they will not accept traitors.”

“What if you take Mona down? Then Archie can continue staying as leader.”

“No, that will not last long either. The fact that those aiming for the leader’s seat appeared means there are bastards who feel that Archie’s strength is no longer what it used to be. Archie too will step down from the leader’s seat before long.”

“Then can’t someone from our side become leader!”

This time too, the Werewolf burst into laughter as if Alec’s words were funny.

“What is so funny?”

“It is funny. A human is calling me our side.”

While Alec lost the words to say, he continued speaking.

“Unfortunately, there are no bastards among us who can defeat Archie or Mona. Barely getting rid of Mona by attacking all at once would be the limit. But those bastards will not quietly stand by and watch that happen either.”

The moment he heard those words, a fact he had forgotten flashed through Alec’s mind, and before it could take proper form, it jumped out of his mouth.

“What if there is a Werewolf stronger than Mona?”

The man stopped climbing the wall for a moment.

Feeling the man’s gaze turn toward him, Alec gathered the words that had jumped out without order and opened his mouth again.

“What happens if a Werewolf with no intention of killing humans defeats Mona?”

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