Chapter 244

Chapter 244: Archie’s Story (10)

Someone ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍who approached Archie and the leader, who were lying tangled together, examined them.

Judging ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍by how much wariness filled his movements, this seemed not to be the Imperial Family member, but one of his subordinates.

In ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍order to gain certainty that the leader was completely dead, Archie felt them stab the leader’s body several times with swords.

At ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍the sight that made his teeth grind, strength entered Archie’s arms.

Fortunately ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍or unfortunately, in that instant, the leader gripped Archie’s arm tightly.

As ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍if telling him to stay still.

Humans were in the middle of hacking him apart, but his small restraint was not discovered.

At last, the humans seemed to judge that the leader was perfectly dead.

As the pressure crushing his body weakened slightly, Archie realized they were lifting the leader’s corpse.

And when they lifted the Werewolf’s body with difficulty, Archie felt the darkness clear and faint light fall over his eyelids.

It did not last long.

Because the humans who lifted the leader noticed the existence of the two beneath him and immediately dropped that huge body.

Compared to the brief sense of liberation he had felt, a massive impact crushed his body.

Archie had to struggle not to let out a groan of pain.

After confirming that the two monsters no longer moved, they let out sighs of relief.

-Lord Renin, there was one human collapsed unconscious down there. It seems he had been captured by the Werewolves.

Another voice came from the right.

But as if the Imperial Family member did not care about that sort of thing, he immediately approached Archie and the leader.

The leader’s body covering Archie shook.

It seemed the Imperial Family member was pushing the leader’s body with his foot to check.

-......Tie that bastard’s limbs and have a horse drag him around the city once. After that, bring him to the castle. I will skin him alive and slice him into pieces.

Perhaps because of his anger, the Imperial Family member stopped speaking for a moment.

-Throw away the rest however you like, and load the human into the carriage.

After barely finishing his order, he trampled on the leader’s hand one last time.

-A-are you not returning to the castle?

Someone asked in a crawling voice.

-Are you trying to make the whole world know I was attacked by a monster?! I will only change clothes and then go hunting as originally planned.

When he shouted, unable to endure his temper, the sounds of people collapsing came from here and there.

There was no one who could carelessly open their mouth before him.

-Kill all the humans who saw this mess around here.

The Imperial Family member muttered irritably, and the sound of his footsteps grew distant.

Archie felt the leader’s body and his own body being lifted and loaded somewhere like trash.

To be precise, it would be more correct to say they were thrown in.

The wagon carrying the two began moving slowly.

Covered all over in the leader’s blood, Archie passed through the city gate.

***

The humans moved Archie and the leader to some unknown dark room.

Judging from the fact that it was filled with the smell of rotting blood and flesh, and the fact that he was made to stay there with the leader, his prediction that it would not be a very good place proved accurate.

The slight problem was that this was proven as the arrows piercing through the leader’s body and his own were mercilessly pulled out.

In that process, the humans must have judged that the two Werewolves, who did not so much as twitch, were perfectly incapable of combat.

They bound the two Werewolves’ hands and feet with chains, then left the room after leaving only one human behind.

It seemed they thought one human was enough to watch over two monsters so tattered they were only slightly better than rags.

But he soon fell by Archie’s hand without even letting out a single scream.

Kicking aside the unconscious man, Archie felt himself grow short of breath.

His condition was not good.

The pain in his chest, which had chronically tormented him, was tormenting him once more.

No, perhaps this was a problem of the heart, Archie thought.

Even though he knew humans would soon return, if only to obey the Imperial Family member’s order, Archie had to lie on the cold floor for a while and gather himself.

He had succeeded in entering the city wall as he wished, but Archie felt no joy.

Because helplessness and despair surpassing all other emotions overwhelmed him.

Whenever Amy and the village humans praised god, Archie had mocked them.

He thought they were doing something foolish, placing a fellow human at the top, believing absurd legends, and revering him as a god to calm their unease.

Perhaps the experience of fleeing from the god he had faced three years ago had made him careless.

How arrogant that gaze had been.

The thing Archie had faced was not merely one strong human.

Did anything in the world even exist that could defeat the thing humans had named god?

Even more despairing was the fact that that thing did not exist only once in this world.

She had said there were more living in the capital.

It meant that even if he killed that bastard, that would not be the end.

Archie threw his gaze toward the leader sprawled on the ground, still with his eyes closed.

-How long are you going to lie there pretending to be unconscious?

-It has not been long. I only barely came to my senses just now.

The leader exhaled with difficulty and raised himself.

Even with a face that looked as if he would die soon, he still could not erase his smile, as if something pleased him.

-How is it? Does it seem there are no humans around?

Wondering why the leader did not find that out himself, Archie pressed his ear to the door.

-It seems there are no humans nearby. If we want to escape, now is our chance. If we run in human form, we should be able to get out somehow without causing a commotion.

Archie, who had turned into a human, glared at the leader, unable to believe the nonsense he had just heard.

-You are joking in a situation like this?

-This is precisely the situation for it. I told you, did I not? I have been waiting only for the day you cut off my head and become a leader.

He continued spouting words that could not be understood.

-I don’t care about your damned wish. If you want to die, then you can die on your own. Why go this far......

Archie could not continue speaking.

Something was strange.

The leader, who should have gotten up long ago, remained sitting exactly where he had first been lying, without even changing into human form.

Blood was still flowing from the bastard’s wounds, which should have had more than enough time to heal by now.

-Why have you not recovered at all?

A startled Archie approached and examined the leader’s wounds again.

But nothing changed.

There was not a single wound on his body where blood was not flowing.

-For the same reason your injury has not healed.

The leader answered while swallowing blood as if swallowing laughter.

-That injury that has been eating away at you since three years ago. It seems you tried to find out the cause in your own way, but it was all wasted effort. That cannot heal anyway.

-What are you talking about? What on earth do you know, and how much?

Archie asked, holding back the urge to grip the leader’s shoulders and shake him.

-I know at least that on that day three years ago, the blood of that cursed god flowed into your wound. And that it has been slowly killing you.

The leader’s answer threw Archie into memories of the past.

The moment he had fallen down the cliff, the intense pain he had felt in his chest, and the angry voice of the Imperial Family member grazing his ears.

That night, the back of the leader as he limped strangely.

For the first time, Archie learned that powerful realization could instead empty one’s head white.

Archie quietly looked down at the old, exhausted leader.

-Did you save me that day?

The leader did not answer, but the fact that he closed his mouth despite having babbled so well while bleeding like a fountain until now was answer enough.

-......What on earth do you want?

-How many times do I have to say it for you to understand? I need the next bastard who will drag me down from this damned role.

The leader’s face, as he said, looked terribly worn.

But only the leader’s eyes, turned toward Archie, shone with joy.

-No one taught me how damned awful becoming a leader would be.

He was smiling.

-Shall I teach you a secret? Once you become a leader, a terrible loneliness comes. No one will understand you. Yet you also cannot tell anyone your suffering. Because that is the kind of curse this is.

Even at the smile, whose meaning he could not tell as mockery or enjoyment, Archie no longer grew angry.

-To think you are this desperate to hand that damned thing over to me. I do not know what I did to make you hate me so much.

At that hollow mutter, the leader shook his head.

-No. It is the opposite. I truly like you.

Archie did not like the affection the leader honestly showed, nor the face from which the smile did not vanish.

Because he could feel the resignation of the leader bastard, who was certain of his own death.

-Stop talking nonsense and tell me the real reason you are trying to pass your place to me. Looking at the state you are in, it only looks like dying is better than living as a leader.

-I cannot say it.

Archie wondered whether he should forget the leader’s seat and everything else and simply grant him a comfortable death here.

Perhaps reading the irritation on his expression, the leader burst into laughter again.

Though he had to stop immediately because of the blood that burst from his mouth along with it.

-You are properly “hearing” my words. Not everything, but I can properly “speak” to you. You are different from the other bastards. You will not be able to understand my words right now.

He stopped speaking for a moment as he vomited blood once.

Archie thought the leader had been driven quite into a corner.

Because inside that smiling face, a subtle impatience he could not hide was showing.

He was watching Archie’s expression without even thinking to conserve his final breaths.

When Archie gave no particular reaction, he busily rolled his eyes.

The leader, whose eyes had been rolling as if anxious, suddenly seemed to make up his mind and opened his mouth.

-......If you become a leader, then perhaps, as you wish, you could bring that human you cherish and live with her.

At the unexpected attempt at persuasion, Archie’s eyes flashed even while knowing it was a lie.

-What does that mean? If I take a human there, it is obvious she will all be killed.

-Yes. She would be eaten in an instant. But if you become a leader, it might be different.

The leader still muttered words whose meaning could not be understood.

Archie questioned him again, but he only repeated that he could not answer right now.

Archie thought he was deceiving him.

If it had been the usual Archie, he would not even have pretended to listen to him, but now it was different.

It was not merely because he felt indebted by the fact that the leader had saved him.

Because what the leader had saved was the means that could drag him down from the leader’s seat, not Archie himself.

Perhaps he simply wanted to believe the leader’s lie was the truth.

Archie’s helplessness whispered inside him to believe the leader’s lie.

In any case, in the outside world, he could not flee with Amy.

If by some chance there was a way to take Amy inside the cave, as the leader said.

If so, would it not be better to inherit the leader’s seat as this bastard wished now?

But some intense premonition made Archie hesitate.

A premonition that if he chose this path, he would never be able to turn back again. No, perhaps certainty would be more correct than premonition.

-Do not worry. Becoming a leader does not mean you will lose your life. You will merely be lonely. But do you not have a human who can let you endure that?

The leader whispered to the hesitating Archie.

Archie slowly reached his hand toward the leader’s neck.

Unable to hide his joy, the leader peacefully closed his eyes.

But Archie’s hand stopped in the air just before touching the leader.

-What are you hesitating for? I told you to hurry and kill me!

The leader flew into a rage.

-Be quiet.

Archie whispered lowly, listening beyond the thick door.

-A human is coming. Only one, though.

It was the sound of small footsteps.

A sound made by a human so light that it felt almost weightless.

-Damn it, what does it matter whether one human comes in or not?

He was right.

If it had been just one human, he could simply kill them the moment they came in, and it would not be a reason to stop here.

But if the owner of those footsteps and that scent was not merely familiar, but the very beginning of all this madness, the story changed.

It seemed the leader shouted something loudly, but it did not properly enter Archie’s ears.

Archie merely stood there stupidly and watched the door open.

Creeeak.

The thick wooden door opened, and a pale, thin woman stepped inside.

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