Chapter 88
Even the way Kuinan innocently asked if he was interested in males was enough to piss Hector off.
[…Wipe that grin off your face before I rip it in half.]
At that moment, Kuinan had no idea that Hector wasn’t the only monster who’d turned against him. In fact, almost every monster in the swamp had heard what happened at Kuinan’s stronghold and now considered him an enemy.
The only reason they hadn’t attacked him yet was simple.
[Anyway, you’ll fulfill your duty, right? You’re going to bring my arm to the Emperor?]
Controlling a clone wasn’t easy. Hector could just barely send his thoughts all the way out to the Duke’s castle, located near the Empire’s edge, but by the time the crow reached the palace, it would likely revert back into an arm.
Since it couldn’t fly to the Emperor by itself, Hector wanted Kuinan to do the delivery.
“Hmm…”
[Is this really the time to pretend you’re thinking it over, you bastard?]
“You’re talking rough today. Just a little teasing… Of course I’ll deliver your arm to the Emperor. I’ll even swap it out with the other arm and get it out safely.”
Once they were close enough to the swamp, Hector could reclaim his arm himself. Kuinan shrugged, feeling confident about his flawless plan. The only unpredictable factor was whatever that woman might do.
She probably heard everything… Wonder how she’ll react?
“So, how about it? If I handle the cleanup perfectly, you could let one woman slide, right? Honestly, what do you care who I mess around with?”
He started in a cheerful tone, but as Hector kept snapping at him through the crow, Kuinan’s voice darkened. It annoyed him that Hector kept mentioning Sylvia, as if he wanted to kill her.
“She’s my woman. Whether I kill her or let her live is my business.”
[…Hah.]
“You need me, don’t you? In fact, every monster in this swamp needs me. Do you really think you could turn on me? I’m the only one who can take down the Emperor.”
The swamp monsters all feared Emperor Myers. Even if Hector pretended it was all hate, deep down he harbored anxiety and unease about the Emperor.
Kuinan, on the other hand, wasn’t afraid of him at all. He just found him irritating and strange, but he never felt any real fear.
[How impressive.]
“Yes, I am impressive.”
[Do you think I’ll just let someone who tried to kill me walk away? The moment the Emperor’s taken care of, if we meet in the swamp, I swear—]
“Jeez, that’s a long tongue you’ve got. How about you stop yapping and turn back into an arm now? I think my woman is really going to wake up. She’s got her own important part to play—she doesn’t need any more trauma.”
Sylvia was already awake. Kuinan knew it, but Hector was oblivious—he was so focused on the annoying presence in front of him that he forgot to keep an eye on the woman.
His clone wasn’t in great shape, so he was less sensitive than usual.
[Whatever. You and your woman are both as good as dead. Just you wait.]
“If you keep spouting crap like that, I’ll toss your arm in a lake. Let your guard down and you’ll spend the rest of your life missing an arm. Do whatever you want.”
[…]
“Finally, some peace and quiet. Now, turn back into an arm. Shut your beak, close those eyes, and just be cargo. That’s your only job right now.”
He made a point of parroting back Hector’s earlier lecture about duty. The crow ground its beak in frustration, but then began to dissolve—its feathers melting away, bones crunching and elongating until it reformed as a large arm.
Kuinan sneered at it.
“Even your transformations are pathetic. Just because you’re one year older, you act like you’re the boss.”
He only ever let Hector play at being in charge—he’d never actually given him any real authority. From the monsters’ behavior during their fight, Kuinan knew plenty of them had turned on him, too.
He clicked his tongue, then slowly turned his gaze sideways.
“You heard all that, right?”
It was finally time for him to talk directly to Sylvia.
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