Chapter 348

“What.”
Varen’s eyes widened.
Dozens of men were languishing in cages.
Their scruffy, haggard ears bore numbered tags, the kind you’d find on livestock.
The filthy interior reeked of a terrible stench.
“I also have a—!
Sure enough, he was handcuffed to himself.
It was overly large and heavy for something designed for a handful of people.
The old werewolf who had spoken to Varen asked again.
“At first I thought you were a compatriot, but you’re just a fat human, how did you get captured?”
“—I don’t remember much, I do remember being attacked, but where exactly am I?”
“We were taken blindfolded and don’t know where we are. But we do know that the future is bleak. Hah—I never thought we’d be captured by the North Winds.”
The old man sighed.
His white beard was shaggy.
Varen winced at the unfamiliar name.
“North Winds?”
“What, you’re not from up north?”
“With all due respect, yes.”
“You may not recognize them, as they’ve only recently begun to spread. They’re one of the indigenous groups up north. They see the Sioux as beasts, not people.”
The old man continued his explanation in a cracked voice.
The North Winds were, quite simply, vicious racists.
Extremists who discriminate against Sioux and other races, as well as humans from other than the North.
In the distant past, their ancestors were indigenous peoples who were pushed to the margins after losing a power struggle with the Sioux.
“It’s not that I don’t understand their hatred. Before the Empire’s conquest of the North, humans had it rough. But it was our distant ancestors who sinned, not us.”
The old man sighed.
His eyes had lost hope and the light had long since gone out.
A hunter, he was kidnapped along with his grandson while chopping firewood.
He’s now awaiting disposition along with other victims.
The North Winds’ main business was to kidnap wandering watermen and sell them as livestock or into slavery.
“Such a— Barca’s been dead for over a decade.”
Varen sighed.
I had no idea this was still happening.
Treating people like cattle just because they’re different races.
In fact, discrimination was practically non-existent, even in the great cities of the north, let alone in the empire where racial harmony was fully established.
“Is the Empire doing nothing?”
“Sure, why not. But even the sunniest land casts shadows. In a place like this, where even the sword of Jaifa is beyond the reach of the Emperor’s power.”
“Zaifa—ah!”
Suddenly, the name Zyfa popped into my head.
I’m pretty sure we had a similar conversation the other day.
A long-forgotten memory suddenly surfaced.
Varen asked, gripping the bars.
“Oh, that’s right, haven’t you ever seen Professor Sekrit?! He’s a wearfox with silver fur!”
“Sekrit? I’ve heard that name before—do you mean the curmudgeon?”
“Yes, I was with him when he was taken, and apparently I was with him when he was kidnapped—!”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t seen it. I’m sorry for your loss, but someone of that importance would have kept it to themselves. There’s room for political maneuvering.”
“There’s got to be a way—it’s time to take advantage of the loophole—ugh!”
A burning headache hit Varen out of nowhere.
He leaned against the bars, clutching the back of his head.
The texture of the hair being grabbed instead of mane was still unfamiliar to me.
“Are you okay? I don’t think it’s your place to worry about others. Isn’t that a knife wound in your stomach?”
“I’m fine—grrr.”
“You’re a tough guy.”
Varen waved his hand.
I was reminded of how fragile the human body is.
I can’t believe I have to feel this pain for a few whacks.
Varen was about to say something when he finally shook off his headache.
Bam!
Suddenly, the door burst open and three balding men walked in.
“Shut up. What’s with all the talking, you scum?”
“——!”
“Shrivel up before I turn you into a stuffed animal, it’s the last time you’ll ever be comfortable.”
Silence descended.
The terrified Sioux curled their tails.
They were wearing the same red coats as the hijackers.
Judging by the keys dangling from his balding waist, it seemed he was acting as a guard.
The bald man’s gaze scanned his surroundings, then stopped on Varen.
“Ah, you’re awake. I’m glad you didn’t go down in flames. The treatment must have gone well.”
“Cure?”
“Yes. I’m not going to let you get away with murdering one of our own like that. You will taste hell alive.”
The bald man growled.
Varen asked, horrified at the word murder.
“Now, wait a minute. What do you mean, I committed murder?”
“What the hell, this is crazy.”
The jailer smirked.
It was so ridiculous that I was speechless.
He was the one who witnessed Randolph’s head being smashed back and forth.
“I was going to take you in as one of us at first, because I figured a gigolo of your stature would be able to hold his own against the furries. You’re a monster who can kill people with one punch.”
“One punch, I can’t believe—.”
I remember hitting someone, but I didn’t realize they were dead.
I’ve never been so unfriendly.
Did I hit it that hard?
“But then I changed my mind. He’s no better than a wasted beast that kills a man and doesn’t remember it. We are not compassionate enough to accept a beast as an ally.”
The jailer glared at the gouged eyes.
Varen’s plans to join the North Winds were unanimously canceled.
Now only a cruel fate awaited him.
“You’re going to work in the mines until you die. Don’t worry too much, you won’t be locked up as long as you think. The furries I work with will eat you in three days.”
“Oh my God, you’re running a mine?”
“Mines? Farms, salt flats–there’s no shortage of places to keep strong, furry men, and there’s no need for salaries.”
“That’s terrible.”
Varen sighed.
It seemed like the organization was bigger than I could have ever imagined if it were a separate mine.
The equipment, including a netted crossbow, was a bit odd.
I never thought I’d come here to lose weight and end up with this.
The grumpy jailer pulled out a key.
“C’mon, you’re still in a bit of a shock, so follow me.”
“Zee, are we going right now, to the mine?”
“That’s right. Because unlike the fox, you’re not much use.”
The jailer snorted.
The door to the prison opened with the sound of a key turning.
Varen’s eyes widened at the word fox.
“If it’s a fox–is Professor Sekrit still alive?!”
“Who dared to ask a question, do you want to be fired from this position?!”
“Sin, I’m sorry. Please let me know. You’re very important to me.”
Varen clutched his head.
The jailer smiles with satisfaction as his forehead touches the floor.
It’s always a good feeling to beat the underdog.
“Where’s the power you had when you beat Randolph to death, you coward?” “Well, since you’re about to die, do you need a special reminder?”
“I beg you. Please have mercy—!”
“Yes, he’s alive. We didn’t know much about him, but he’s a lot more capable than we thought. We showed him to the boss, and he loved it. He thinks he’s going to be a political trump card.”
The guard said Sekrit was being held by the boss.
It’s a much different image than you’re used to seeing, but you’re “negotiating” for now.
Varen’s eyes glazed over.
He muttered, his voice watery.
“Hah——that’s great. You’re alive.”
“If the beast Naboorin is useful, there’s no reason to kill him. If your questions are answered, come out now.”
But there was no time to rest on our laurels.
The guard who answered the question promptly opened the cell door, grabbed Varen by the hair, and pulled him out.
“Ugh!”
“Kahaha, it’s time to go to hell!”
Varen groaned at the pain as if his scalp were being ripped out.
It seems that power didn’t buy the jailer’s position.
The two companions who came in with him were pointing crossbows at Varen from behind.
Turning his attention to the prisoners, the jailer shouted.
“Oh, you’re all going to the arena. I’ll let you go after I dispose of this pig, so be prepared!”
“Two, the arena—!”
Su Yin’s face went white.
He’d only been held here for three days, but he was well aware of the arena’s notoriety.
Occasionally, cheers and screams could be heard from the arena, echoing from beyond the walls.
“Hey, don’t do this, what the hell did we do wrong!”
“Send my daughter to a farm, because I don’t care if she ends up in the arena or stuffed!”
“Aaahhhhhh! Mom!”
Suddenly, a commotion erupted in the quiet building.
Sending them to the arena was a death sentence.
Average survival time one week.
It was the most horrible place in the North Winds, a place to fight and die for entertainment.
The organizers were watching the desperate watermen with a look of worldly joy on their faces.
The two men with crossbows turned all eyes toward Su Yin.
Varen, who had been hanging his head, jumped to his feet.
“Hmph!”
“Huh?”
I got down on my stomach and slowly closed the distance.
Varen had gotten within striking distance of the jailer.
The killing was swift.
Varen swung his cuffed hands upward.
Pfft!!!
The jailer, hit squarely in the jaw, soared into the air.
The body collided with the ceiling and fell to the floor.
“Ugh. Ugh.”
“Well, well, well!”
Two of my coworkers gulped.
When I turned my head again, the situation was over.
Shaken from head to toe, the jailer’s body was already broken beyond repair.
Grotesquely twisted limbs.
The neckbone that tore through the ligaments and stuck out was as white as milk.
“You pig!”
“Grind!”
The men pulled the trigger late.
Varen lunged, covering his face with his handcuffs.
It was very heavy for something designed to be carried by a person.
Enough to stop a crossbow.
Teetering!
Both crossbows bounced off, leaving only the handcuffs raw.
The men immediately drew their swords, but the distance had already closed.
“Off!”
The men in front of Varen screamed.
It was like a round boulder rushing at me.
I wanted to avoid it, but it was too late.
Kwaaaaang-!
Varen’s ship, which had swallowed them both, slammed into the wall.
There was silence, accompanied by a crushing sensation.
“——”
That was it.
Varen slowly pulled himself away.
The front of his coat was covered in blood.
Two corpses with broken bones all over their bodies slid down the wall.
He breathes a sigh of relief.
“Whoa—it turns out they were right about getting used to it over time.”
Apart from the headache, my strength was returning.
I realized this when I was told that I had unknowingly sent a human being to the ground with a single punch.
The halo of light over Varen’s shoulder dissipated.
A small amount of auror miraculously manifested, allowing him to run amok in handcuffs and shackles.
It was a bit of a stretch for me, but it was enough to get me through the crisis.
The Sioux were completely frozen.
The fat man leaped, and in an instant, three of the North Winds were dead.
“Now, you. What the hell is that power—?”
The first to wake up was the old werewolf.
Instead of answering, Varen snatched the bundle of keys from the guard’s hand.
He said, unlocking the lock on the cage that held the men.
“Could you please unlock my handcuffs, I can’t reach them.”
“Yeah, sure. Come here.”
The old man did just that.
The shackles and cuffs fell from his body with a heavy clatter.
Wiping the brainwater from his face, Varen smiled.
“Thank you. I’d advise you to escape, but do you want to stay here just in case? You’ll be able to hold out for a while if you take a chance.”
“I’ll do that—what are you going to do?”
The vibe was very different from Nana’s.
Varen’s eyes, sharpened, glowed a golden color.
“Well, I’d like to get rid of all this junk if I could, but—.”
Varen trailed off.
If I was in my right mind, I would have wiped this shit out before it happened, but I was in a bad place.
He stepped to the door and said.
“We’ll have to get Professor Sekrit first.”
Varen Panasir.
Duke of Brynnhills, Godfather of the Empire.
He was once a poacher’s nightmare.
His “expeditions” over the decades have included numerous hostage rescues, as well as taking down bad guys.
Tugging on the doorknob, Varen uttered his usual line.
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.”
Hoping the flabby flesh doesn’t grab your ankles.