Chapter 7. Deal

Monster Slayer.

White-Haired Thousand-Year-Old Fox.

A being called the most ferocious, even among the apex of Beastmen.

Each and every one of these titles was both an epithet for Adina, and an expression of awe towards her.

Naturally, Luke Richter, having read the original novel, knew that these titles weren't exaggerated in the slightest.

He couldn't forget her presence, which corrupted humans, devoured monsters, and was itself called a calamity.

However, even she had a past.

And it was a rather embarrassing dark history.

'I've… I've been found out…!'

She hadn't intended to threaten them from the start.

She just wanted to avoid traveling through this Magical Boundary alone, so she'd planned to use the signpost as an excuse to ask them to accompany her.

But everything went wrong.

It was all because of a single careless remark from that man.

— Isn't it just that you're a coward?

'Why did he have to say that…'

Adina was a coward.

She herself knew that fact.

How could she not know?

From the moment she was born, she was far too different from the rest of her clan.

— Leave. You are not worthy to be with the clan.

And so she was abandoned.

For the sole reason of not being brave enough, even her parents turned their backs on her.

She wanted to die.

No, she actually intended to die.

Hadn't she come to this Blackmore for that very reason?

She'd planned to jump without a second thought.

But even standing at the edge of the cliff…

“…”

She couldn't bring herself to jump.

The moment she looked down from the edge of the cliff, her whole body trembled.

She couldn't move a single step.

Her desire to live was far greater than she had thought.

'Damn it…!'

Her lips trembled, paralyzed with fear. Her breathing was labored, as if her throat was being choked by the overflowing self-loathing.

She was trash.

Trash that couldn't do anything right.

Just like everyone said, she was a disgrace to her clan.

Was it because of that?

Looking at the signpost, she thought to herself.

'Right, it's all because of this damn signpost.'

She knew it was a ridiculous excuse.

But she had no choice.

She felt like she wouldn't be able to bear it unless she blamed someone else like this.

So she decided to use it as a justification to hold them accountable.

Since they had interrupted her, she would demand they accompany her as compensation.

But then…

'M-Monster…!'

Pressed by Rudine's Killing Intent, Adina lost her words.

The Killing Intent Rudine revealed was at a level she couldn't even begin to fathom.

A primitive malice, ominous beyond words.

Her twisted smile, coupled with the chilly, viscous energy, was both shocking and terrifying.

Her mouth went dry under Rudine's inorganic gaze, as if she were peering deep into her very being.

Far from feeling any fighting spirit, all of her will was subjugated.

Trickle.

Cold sweat beaded on her back and trickled down her spine.

Her eyes twitched spasmodically.

'…What in the world…?'

She was bewildered.

Just how strong was this man, who treated such a monster like a subordinate?

She honestly felt a flicker of awe.

But that wasn't important right now.

This was a Magical Boundary.

She had come here intending to die, but since she had failed, she had to find a way to survive.

However…

'H-How…?'

She had nowhere to go.

No food, no way to find her way, no home.

Her eyes welled up.

Her drooping silver tail twitched and trembled.

She needed someone to rely on.

Then, a man caught her eye.

None other than Luke Richter.

'If it's that man…'

The thought suddenly occurred to her.

If it was a man who could control such a monster…

Couldn't he at least guarantee her safety?

And so, the words tumbled out.

“I, I don't want to be alone……”

“…”

Hearing this, Luke Richter thought.

'What's this now?'

He was dumbfounded. She had been stalking him, and when he asked her why, she said she was afraid to be alone. Exasperated, he asked back.

“You're a Beastman, aren't you?”

“…”

“And you're scared?”

“…”

Twitch! Twitch!

Instead of answering, she twitched her triangular ears rapidly.

It was a sign of affirmation.

However…

“So?”

“…What?”

“What does you being scared have to do with me?”

“…”

Adina's mouth, which had opened to answer, closed as if by magic.

She blinked, her face shocked.

“But…!”

“But?”

“I, I can definitely be of help to you…!”

“How?”

“Huh?”

“How can you be of help to me?”

He saw tears welling up in Adina’s violet eyes.

She looked like a pitiful little girl.

But that was all.

He wasn't her guardian.

'I can barely take care of myself.'

Adina would survive just fine without him anyway. Not just survive, but thrive, rising to become one of the Beast Kings. Still, feeling a pang of sympathy for her tearful appearance, he added,

“I’m sorry. I’m busy looking out for myself.”

Surely she understood now?

He was about to go on his way when…

“…Let’s make a deal.”

What?

“I want to make a deal.”

“A deal?”

“Yes!”

She started rummaging through her pocket.

It was a common-looking stone.

However, what was surprising was the stone's surface.

'Don't tell me…'

A faint light flowed across the surface, and within it, a large, golden inscription was engraved.

Its identity was—

'A Rune.'

Primordial characters, a Rune.

“Heh.”

Rudine, who was watching, raised the corner of her lips as if intrigued.

She seemed to have realized, purely by intuition, that the stone was something extraordinary.

Indeed, it was.

Runes were precious artifacts that granted immediate abilities upon acquisition.

Of course, most Runes weren't very efficient, but there were also several incredibly powerful ones.

Moreover, that inscription…

If my memory serves me right…

'Rune of Time.'

*Gulp.*

I swallowed hard.

Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked her,

“Where did you get that?”

Upon hearing the question, her face brightened.

Thinking the reins of the negotiation had shifted to her, she even wagged her tail.

Her answer was,

“I stole it.”

Huh?

“What did you say?”

“I said I stole it.”

“…From where?”

*Twitch! Twitch!*

Her fluffy ears twitched, forming triangles.

Adina placed her hands on her hips and declared proudly,

“The White-Haired Clan.”

The White-Haired Clan.

Adina’s identity and affiliation, the Fox Beastman clan.

Descending from Sacred Beasts, the White-Haired Clan was famous for having a history so old it was practically rotten.

Wait a minute.

…Don't tell me?

“I robbed the White-Haired Clan’s treasury.”

“!!!”

No way.

Is this for real?

“Do you even know what that is?”

“Nope!”

“Then, your 'deal' is…?”

“Ahem!”

*Swish, swish.*

Her luscious silver tail swayed.

“Let me travel with you!”

“…”

“Then, I'll give you this as payment.”

Wow.

What a stroke of luck.

****

Meanwhile…

“…”

A masked man walking down the road looked around.

The man's expression twisted at the incredibly gloomy landscape of Blackmore.

*Sigh.*

The man swallowed a sigh and continued walking.

He recalled the reason he had come to this place.

It was none other than a secret order from his superiors, instructing him to observe and report on Luke Richter, the newly appointed administrator of Blackmore.

'Luke Richter…'

He didn't know the detailed reasons.

What was certain was that, for some reason, his superiors had started to take an interest in him.

'Excessive attention for a mere low-ranking official.'

He thought to himself.

Too much attention was focused on some bastard son of a count.

'Is this the place?'

He had arrived at Luke Richter’s office.

The man concealed his presence and slowly looked around.

'He seems to be quite tidy.'

The office was clean.

Everything was well-organized, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.

'There doesn't seem to be anything particularly unusual.'

He stepped out of the office and examined the surroundings.

He hadn't expected much.

What unusual thing could a mere low-ranking official possibly have?

That's when it happened.

'What is this…?'

Dirty, reddish streaks stretched across the dirt floor.

Clearly bloodstains.

Moreover, the bloodstains continued in one direction as if guiding the way.

'…'

The man's eyes gleamed as he saw it.

The bloodstains were so vivid that he couldn't even begin to fathom how much blood had soaked the ground.

The man followed the trail.

The further he went, the stronger the stench of blood assaulted his senses.

The smell of blood was almost enough to numb his sense of smell.

And…

What he found at the end was…

“!!!”

The corpses of Monstrous Beasts that Rudine had dealt with.

Piled up like a mountain, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a mountain of corpses.

“…Huh.”

Just how many are there?

Moreover, every single one of them seemed to be an extraordinary Monstrous Beast.

And how clean the cuts were, as if Monstrous Beasts the size of houses had been bisected with a single stroke.

This was a feat that a mere low-ranking official could never achieve.

No, frankly, even he wouldn’t find such clean single strokes easy.

Having realized this, the next step was obvious.

“…I’ve seen enough.”

He had to report quickly.

That was the only thought in the man’s mind.