Please Kill Me - Chapter 88

And it was blocked. Sergei raised his hand, interrupting the conversation, an action that was blatantly rude considering that the person at the head of the table leads the meeting.

Piotr, however, did not point this out.

Or rather, he couldn’t.

The captain of the guards was not in a position to silence Sergei Offenbach, the head of one of the central two families.

“Do we really need to waste time on this? The personnel I’ve brought are sufficient to handle the high-grade monster. Hasn’t this discussion already concluded?”

“….Already concluded?”

Now it was Leonid’s turn to frown. He was virtually the only person in the tent who could cut off Sergei.

“Sergei Offenbach. Could you explain that so I can understand? I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“Did you lose your hearing before your age? Just as you heard. Offenbach will take over the jurisdiction of the forest nearby, and the subjugation of the monsters has been delegated to Offenbach. It’s a matter already authorized by His Majesty, so no objections will be taken.”

“Captain Piotr. Is there nothing wrong with what he said?”

“Uh, no.”

“Nothing wrong at all. So, you’re telling me that such authorization happened overnight, and among those involved in the subjugation, only Rostislav was completely unaware of it?”

That Offenbach would undertake the monster subjugation was somewhat expected.

The Offenbach family profited immensely from the cores extracted from high-grade monsters. No family was better suited or more eager to handle high-level monsters than they were.

So, the issue itself was not necessarily controversial.

However, if such a decision had been made, it should have been communicated to Rostislav as well. As he looked back, Basil also appeared completely unaware.

This suggested that either Piotr or Sergei had deliberately manipulated the situation.

As he grasped the situation, a dry laugh escaped him.

‘Such a viper.’

Piotr was not the type to engage in such tactics. It must have been Offenbach.

Offenbach has been a thorn in Rostislav’s side for more than a day or two, but usually, their overreaching hasn’t extended to monster hunting. Leonid would usually dismiss it, but in this context, he needed to be more cautious.

“If the matter is settled, then there’s no reason for Rostislav to linger here. We will prepare to withdraw immediately.”

“Young man, you’re too hasty. Who said everything has been resolved? There’s still an unresolved issue.”

Sergei leaned forward from his chair and raised his eyebrows.

“When I received yesterday’s report, there was a recurring note among the scouts. They found traces of a monster massacre throughout the forest. It’s quite odd, don’t you think?”

“…”

“The hunting grounds are extensive. To wreak such havoc would typically require a significant number of troops, yet despite there being three scout teams, no one encountered anyone. Perhaps our assumption is wrong, let’s reconsider.”

Maybe it wasn’t several people but rather a very few, possibly even one person responsible for all this.

“And I happen to know someone capable of such feats alone.”

Leonid scoffed at the added comment.

“That’s ridiculous. One person managed the whole forest?”

“I don’t see why that’s so unbelievable. Are you underestimating human potential too much? Should we pick someone at random, poison them, and see if they can run all day? It’s the same principle here.”

Sergei’s nonchalance despite discussing such horrific scenarios twisted Leonid’s expression.

“Are you seriously comparing extreme situations with what’s happening here? Are you, as the head of Offenbach, suggesting that someone might have been poisoned and let loose in the forest?”

“I’ve never done such a thing. She went on her own accord.”

“…went on her own accord?”

Leonid’s question seemed to harden Sergei’s expression more than before. His fist was visibly clenched tightly over the table.

“She was honed from a young age to thrive in extremes. The sharpest blade I’ve ever forged, the most obedient cur. And after all the efforts I poured into her, she dares to betray me and flee? An ungrateful swine!”

A distinct crackling sound came from Sergei’s fist as his knuckles collided. Just recalling the incident seemed to ignite an uncontrollable rage in him, a murderous intent spread across his face.

“I’m certain she has come to this forest. With nowhere else to go, she must be hiding here, trying to survive. Anyone found sheltering or aiding her will receive the same punishment, whether they are from within my house or outside.”

Sergei was overtly displaying his anger.

It served as a form of intimidation—a warning to stop anyone from helping her. Those unaware of the situation might sympathize with the runaway who had provoked such anger in Sergei. The severity of his words, even if meant for his subordinates, was too much. It would naturally lead people to wonder why she had run away.