Chapter 47 - The Prince of the Beastly Kingdom is Supposed to Have a Harem…12

Previous | TOC | Next

Afterwards, Ruth and Wonok, who had stayed behind, were kicked out of the room together. Since there was no place to put the corpse, it seemed that this room would be sealed with a simple lock until the blizzard stopped, and it was possible to go outside. It was a shame that he couldn’t go back to his room, but he guessed it couldn't be helped. Ruth grabbed all the things he brought out and started walking. However, on the way, he noticed Wonok standing there holding a lamp.

"Wonok? What's wrong?"

“Ruth, about that Herald guy…”

"Yeah?"

"He's alive."

"Eh!?"

　Surprised by Wonok's words, Ruth stopped and approached him.

"What do you mean? He's alive, but his breathing, heartbeat, and pulse have stopped..."

"Is that guy a beastman?"

"Y-yes. Probably."

"As far as I can tell, those eyes, that long tongue, and the scaly skin on his shin that I noticed earlier when I lifted up his clothes are characteristic of Sneik-type beastmen."

"Sneik type..."

　Sneik was a word that referred to a snake-like animal in this world. Although they weren’t often seen in the mountain where Ruth lived, they seemed to live in forests and water in warmer regions. He knew about it because it was sometimes sold as a delicacy* at Daniel's butcher shop.

*T/N: This is referring to the Sneik animal (literally just a snake) btw not the Sneik beastman (Humanoids with snake features). Just incase someone out there is thinking they're eating Sneik beastmen (this isnt dunmeshi)

“The nature of the Sneik type is that when their body temperature suddenly drops, they have a defensive mechanism that instinctively puts them into a state of asphyxia, where the body wouldn't show any signs of life. I've been listening to his heartbeat, and I can tell that it’s moving, albeit very slowly. He's just in a state of suspended animation, he's not dead."

“B-but Julia and my father didn’t say anything.”

"Once you become a beastman, there’s almost zero chance of entering suspended animation. Your father and that long-eared beastlady probably didn't know, and that guy probably didn’t know either. That’s how difficult it is to enter that state once you become a beastman.''

“Then Wonok, why do you…?”

“Because I know a lot.”

　Wonok looked proud and laughed. His confident face was so trustworthy that Ruth couldn't help but smile. He already knew that Wonok had an in-depth knowledge about races like a scholar, gauging from his words at the restaurant when Ruth served him tea. He thought he could trust him.

　He felt a little better as he had kept wondering what he could have done to save Herald had he been in the room.

　As expected, living in another world was not easy.

　Ruth put his things down and tried to run to Rossa, taking only the lamp with him. However, just as he was about to run, Wonok grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?"

"What do you mean? I need to ask my father to open the door and wake up Mr. Herald."

“Don’t do that.”

"Eh?"

　Ruth frowned at the calm reply. When he questioned why, the other let out a sigh.

"If you wake up a beastman in suspended animation, there's a chance they'll die. It's safer to have a priest or someone with healing skills cast a spell on them. Besides..."

"Besides?"

　Wonok, who had been speaking somewhat proudly, suddenly lost his expression.

"I wonder. Did this beastman really become like that because of an accident?"

　A chill ran down Ruth's spine.

"What…are you saying?"

“This village is located in a mountainous area, and the wind flows from the entrance, through the square, and towards the river by the village chief's house. The wind was flowing like that even when the snowstorm started, so this must be consistent.''

　It was true that the direction of the wind in the village was always constant and didn’t change much. Ruth also remembered that when he was returning to the inn, the wind in the square was strangely stronger than everywhere else.

“Although this inn faces the square, it was built vertically towards the mountain. That room is on the closest side to the mountain while the shabby house I lived in is more in the direction of the village chief's house. Do you...do you understand where I’m getting at here?"

"If the wind is traveling in the opposite direction... there's no way things would come flying from the house next door."

"Exactly. Wind and snow had entered the room, but considering the blizzard wind from outside had hit directly, it was surprisingly clean. I was also concerned that there were only a few pieces of wood from the window that should have been broken. With the window in that room at that angle, normally, things wouldn't fly in and break the window."

　Ruth also noticed the wind blowing when he was checking on Herald, but it wasn't so strong that he couldn't see around him, so he was able to inspect the situation normally. Even the landscape letter he had received from Alec was just swirling and spinning around the room. If the wind had been strong enough to send objects flying, the interior should’ve been in a significantly worse condition.

"Of course, we can't say that the direction of the wind will never change. I won't deny the possibility that it might have flown in by chance either. But just keep in mind that it's best not to let your guard down too much."

"…Why do you say that?"

"Someone may have attempted to kill Herald and then fabricated the scene in that room. Well, they were sloppy and couldn’t finish the job though.”

　Wonok smiled faintly. It seemed like his golden eyes turned slightly red.

“Let’s keep the fact that that man is alive a secret. Otherwise, someone might try to kill him again.'' 

With those ominous words, Wonok left.

　As Ruth watched the lamp flicker in his hand, he felt a cold sweat fall as he imagined the possible presence of a murderer.

Previous | TOC | Next