Tamed Monster - Chapter 125

He had remained silent the entire time, but at last he parted his tightly sealed lips.

“What did you just say?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? If we seize that woman, even someone as formidable as you could be controlled however we like. Since you’re refusing to do the job voluntarily at this point, we’ll just have to force you to. That one-eyed bastard was right. You’re no different from a traitor to us now.”

Hector hadn’t sent him along with the one-eyed monster’s group for this. He had sent him because this red-haired monster was one of the rare few capable of cold, rational thought—someone who might actually persuade Kuinan.

On top of that, Hector was busy at the moment. He was busy indulging in the sort of romantic games the red-haired monster had mentioned.

He hadn’t told anyone, but the dull-witted female Hector had picked up turned out, astonishingly, to be human.

Without even realizing he was dating, Hector was quietly taking care of a half-witted woman abandoned on the outskirts of the swamp, pretending indifference while tending to her. Even for a human, she’d been left in too pitiful a state for him to ignore. He’d simply intended to spare her life.

Small and large anomalies were cropping up among the swamp monsters in all directions. Even considering the massive mess Hector himself had recently caused, the most troublesome problem by far was still Kuinan.

He held the key to humanity’s extermination—the thing the monsters desired most—yet he was trying to abandon the mission right at the finish line.

“…You shouldn’t be telling me plans like that so openly. It just gives me time to prepare, doesn’t it?”

“You’re outnumbered. Even if we sacrifice a few lives, infiltrating the duke’s estate isn’t completely impossible. It’s far enough from the capital, after all.”

As the red-haired monster said, breaking into the duke’s estate wasn’t impossible. Back when he and Hector were on good terms, Hector had come and gone from the estate as easily as breathing. Even if he’d only sent a clone, the fact that he’d appeared there so often without being discovered meant this monster could likely do the same.

The entirely natural urge to slaughter every last one of them where they stood surged up inside Kuinan.

His temper had already been fouled when someone had caught him off guard earlier. If only to avoid becoming the subject of Hector’s ridicule, maybe he really should kill this red-haired monster.

Kuinan couldn’t even remember the bastard’s name. He’d always thought him far inferior to himself and Hector.

Now, he knew better.

As Kuinan let his claws grow, preparing to reveal his true nature, the surrounding monsters sensed the killing intent and collectively tensed, low growls rumbling from their throats. However, the large red-haired monster closest to him remained calm, curling one corner of his mouth upward.

“Good thing we came to talk. Now I know what needs to be done. We can’t beat you with numbers like this, so let’s settle things another time.”

Kuinan had never said he’d let them leave peacefully, yet the monster was already turning away with a grin. The moment Kuinan swung his claws at the taunting back—

More than a dozen monsters lunged at him all at once, clinging to him. Blood sprayed. Flesh tore.

“Gaaah!”

Not a single scratch appeared on Kuinan’s hardened body. The weakest monsters were shredded first, flung away screaming as his claws ripped through them.

For a brief moment, the hierarchy was forcibly overturned. Monsters who should have followed Kuinan instead shielded the red-haired monster, rejecting Kuinan and defending him.

“Hey! Let go of me!”

The one-eyed monster nearly lost his remaining eye. Stopping his attack just short of the creature’s face out of the tiniest shred of mercy, Kuinan issued a warning that was anything but empty—move aside now, or he would tear them limb from limb.

Just as they once had for Kuinan, the monsters now risked their lives to protect the red-haired one.

After tearing into five or so of them indiscriminately—faces, torsos, anything within reach—Kuinan finally paused, panting with fury. It wasn’t fear of them that stopped him, but fear of Hector’s reaction. Massacring monsters close to Hector without just cause would earn him that man’s lasting hatred.

‘Why the hell didn’t he come himself? That bastard’s usually so diligent, why is he squatting alone in the swamp today of all days?’

Unaware of Hector’s circumstances, Kuinan cursed his former friend as a world-class slacker in his head. Then, softening his tone unnaturally, he spoke to the monsters restraining him.

“Let me talk, will you? I’ve got something to say to that one.”

Whether he was lying or simply suppressing his murderous aura, it was obvious what he intended to do to the red-haired monster. Not a single monster loosened their grip.

After a few more attempts to persuade his former comrades with gentle words, Kuinan fixed a murderous glare on the hulking monster who was already slipping away.