Chapter 27
Among the information Yuria had given , there was sothing particularly puzzling.
It was the shocking revelation that the Rabbit Tribe had built a hideout in the outermost slums of the castle.
‘How on earth?’
Even if it was the slums, could the Rabbit Tribe, with no connection at all, really build a hideout there?
But this was reality, and so I decided to check this part first.
“Don’t tell they even dug a burrow? And it’s not far from the ranch either.”
Digging burrows was almost instinctual for the Rabbit Tribe.
Since this area was very close to the ranch where they worked, it wasn’t impossible that their touch(?) had reached here.
“If that’s the case, then this could be a jackpot.”
If they had dug a tunnel from inside the castle to the ranch, it would beco much easier to make contact with the Rabbit Tribe.
Depending on the situation, they could even consider digging from the ranch to the outside and escaping.
If the Level rchant Group hadn’t taken the Rabbit Tribe’s children hostage, they might have already run away.
-Beastn rarely abandon or betray their tribe. Especially not when children are involved.
Isn’t betraying one’s kin for personal gain a trait unique to humans?
Sotis I see humans far worse than beasts.
Of course, that doesn’t an beastn were beasts.
‘And Yuria knew all of this. She might even have orchestrated the situation herself.’
It was hard not to be suspicious.
If Yuria had provided hidden support, then it wasn’t impossible for the Rabbit Tribe to have built a hideout.
Just what was she planning to do by using them?
She was a truly enigmatic woman.
‘And then there’s the fact that she had been monitoring us from the start. To send soone at just the right timing.’
-Now that I think about it, Master. That male earlier, there was sothing strange about him.
Late at night.
I was sneaking around, heading toward the Rabbit Tribe’s hideout Yuria had told about.
If I could link up with the Rabbit Tribe hiding there, it would be much easier to help them escape.
While on the way, the subject of Yuria ca up, and my rabbit companion said sothing very significant.
That there had been sothing suspicious about the man who had passed us the information.
‘Strange? What about him?’
-He had a strong beast scent.
‘A beast scent?’
Wait, I’d heard sothing like this before.
Wasn’t it what Black Rabbit said when we first t?
That I slled like a beast.
The source of that scent had been the diary, and I had confird that the diary was linked to Bestia, the beast god.
Could it be that this was related as well?
-No. This was different. This was the raw, natural scent of a beast.
‘Really?’
-Yes. That male was most likely a beastman.
‘A beastman? No way. That man was definitely human.’
Even thinking back, the man had been human.
I hadn’t seen the beast ears that were the defining trait of beastn.
He hadn’t been wearing a hat either, so it wasn’t like he was hiding them.
And since half-breeds between humans and beastn didn’t exist, there was no reason to suspect otherwise.
-Among beastn, there are tribes who can transform their appearance. They are beastn who received such blessings from Lord Bestia.
‘There’s such a thing?’
-Yes. The foxes, for example. Their racial trait allows them to transform into humans.
So the Fox Tribe had received the racial trait to disguise themselves as humans?
Fantasy really was sothing—there was everything here.
If that was true, then Yuria had a beastman among her close aides.
‘Could it be she didn’t know? But knowing her, she would have thoroughly investigated even her own employees before employing them.’
Maybe Yuria was soone particularly friendly toward beastn.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter. We’re just using each other anyway.’
For now, I decided to put that aside until after I t with the Rabbit Tribe.
A crumbling, abandoned house.
This was the hideout Yuria had told about.
Even in a territory like Johnson Territory, where manpower was scarce, there hadn’t been such a neglected district. But it seed this lord wasn’t managing it at all.
Was it simply because the territory here was different in nature?
In Johnson Territory, every area inside the castle was under the lord’s ownership, but here, individuals could own land.
So if the landowner hadn’t managed it, this could happen.
“Gerasiona ramaksidoraano!”
As I clicked my tongue at the unusually neglected state and stepped inside the abandoned house, I heard the beastn’s language from deeper within.
Then, shadows quickly moved inside.
It looked like Rabbit Tribe mbers hiding inside were about to flee.
“Ah, damn their escape instincts.”
A aningless chase in the middle of the night was about to break out.
“Hashisiraonade!”
But just then, one of the Rabbit Tribe workers I had brought along, to help with smooth communication, cried out in a hurry.
It sounded like sothing along the lines of ‘Don’t run’ and ‘Stop.’
The movent inside halted, and cautiously, one of the Rabbit Tribe revealed himself.
“Radical?”
“Lutos?”
Then he rushed toward the Rabbit Tribe worker I’d brought, grasped his hands tightly, and greeted him warmly.
So they knew each other?
That was lucky.
With this mood, we might at least be able to start a conversation.
“…That’s what happened.”
“I see.”
The Rabbit Tribe mber nad Lutos was a beastman fluent in human speech, so I was able to hear their circumstances.
In protest against the oppressive working conditions of the Level rchant Group, they had secretly helped a few young Rabbit Tribe mbers escape.
It was too few to set an example but still enough to leave an impression.
Those runaway youths then happened to encounter a benefactor who offered them aid.
‘Happened to? Yeah right. That had Yuria written all over it. She must have been waiting, knowing the situation in advance.’
“We had no choice. We were imdiately surrounded.”
It had been an efficient tactic of encirclent first, persuasion later.
With no other options, the young Rabbit Tribe mbers had followed their benefactor into hiding in this abandoned house.
“After that, we received much help. We even managed to get so weapons, though not many. And food as well.”
She had steadily provided them help, earning their trust.
Not just a few weapons, but also food and information.
Now, they said, their sole focus was on locating the children of the Rabbit Tribe, who were secretly being held by the Level rchant Group.
“Yeah?”
But you know.
Yuria already knew where the children of the Rabbit Tribe were being held.
‘But she didn’t tell these guys.’
Even if she did, would it really matter? They don’t have the strength to rescue the children.
Even if the Rabbit Tribe rushed in en masse, the result would be the sa. If they used the children as hostages, they would just get captured again.
‘That’s true.’
It was puzzling.
Was she keeping it quiet out of concern they might act rashly, or did she have so special motive?
I couldn’t guess Yuria’s exact intentions.
‘In fact, even if the Rabbit Tribe escaped, Yuria wouldn’t gain much. Unless she planned to make so military move during the commotion.’
The smarter a person was, the less likely they were to use such reckless thods.
That ant she simply helped without expecting anything in return.
She was a suspicious woman, but it didn’t feel like she helped with a malicious sche.
“Well, fine. Then let’s talk about us.”
“About us?”
“Rabbit Tribe, you’re thinking of escaping, right? I’ll help.”
As for her true intention, I decided I’d hear it directly later when the chance ca, and for now, I focused on making a plan.
Persuading the Rabbit Tribe youth, Lutos, wasn’t too difficult.
Not only did Radical, the Rabbit Tribesman who ca with , know Lutos personally, but the introduction that he was soone sent by an anonymous supporter who had steadily built their trust also carried considerable weight.
If only I could be summoned, persuasion wouldn’t have even been necessary.
Beside , Black Rabbit was sulking with pride wounded, but that couldn’t be helped.
If I started talking about being the Rabbit Tribe’s guide here, it would only drag out the persuasion.
That was sothing to deal with after helping them all escape.
“Wow, you dug a tunnel.”
“Yes. We infiltrated the Rabbit Tribe lodgings and can pass information to the tribesn.”
“That’s good.”
Before making the plan, we talked a little, and it turned out they hadn’t been idly waiting either.
Just as I expected, they had dug a tunnel leading from here to the ranch.
As expected of the tunnel people.
That would make things much easier.
“The most important thing is the hostages. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“So wait for now. I’ll make a plan that rescues the hostages and lets the Rabbit Tribe escape at the sa ti, so for now, keep quiet.”
“I understand.”
After hiding Lutos and the Rabbit youths back in their shelter, I quietly returned to the inn.
And then I began drafting the real plan.
The top priority was ensuring the Rabbit Tribe escaped safely while keeping our presence hidden.
Sure, I had boldly asked what the re rchant group could possibly do, but in truth, it was best that no one realized we were involved.
Ludak’s words that it was fine as long as we didn’t get caught ant that getting caught would lead to troubleso consequences.
“First, Rudick, transport the food you traded back to the territory.”
“The food?”
“Of course. We can’t just leave it behind. There are hundreds of Rabbit Tribesn. Taking them along with food wagons would make returning far too difficult.”
“Hmm, then wouldn’t it be better if you ca along too, brother?”
“No, I have to stay.”
Sothing I always felt during operations—things never went exactly as planned.
Variables always existed.
To respond quickly, soone with authority had to remain on-site and make adjustnts directly.
In this case, as the Lord, it was most efficient for to stay and handle any sudden events.
“Hmm, I understand, but…”
“But what?”
“Doesn’t it look suspicious? We bought food, the knight order leaves, and only you stay behind? Looks like you’re up to sothing.”
“That’s true.”
He had a point.
If everyone left and I remained alone, it would look suspicious.
But sneaking outside the territory alone didn’t seem right either.
Besides, the secret places where the Rabbit children were held were all inside the castle.
It was only natural that I wouldn’t be able to respond effectively from outside.
“I’ll need a justification. Sothing so solid that no one could possibly doubt it.”
As I was wondering what reason would be convincing enough, especially to the Level rchant Group, Black Rabbit ca up with a brilliant idea.
Say you fell for that Yuria woman. Wasn’t that more or less how it felt when you first t her?
‘…I see.’
It hadn’t even been half a year since my forr wife ran away, so falling for another woman already was absurd, but if the woman was Yuria, the story sounded plausible.
Especially since the people of the Level rchant Group had similar experiences, they wouldn’t be too suspicious.
After all, the woman Iron once fell for looked exactly like Yuria.
‘Running back to as soon as the double fled? Anyone would call a brainless lovesick fool…’
But it would put them at ease too, wouldn’t it?
‘Just the fact that I had a private talk with Yuria must’ve bothered them a little, but if I said that was the reason, they’d be reassured. Plus, if I got a reputation for being weak to won, they’d let their guard down. Not a bad idea.’
And you might get hints from her about the rchant group’s moves or sudden changes.
After all, if you’re courting her, no one would find it strange for you to visit her several tis.
‘And the rejection story is solid. What woman would accept a man who projected another woman’s face onto her? If Yuria just turned down after dragging it out a bit, everyone would nod in agreent.’
The more I thought about it, the more plausible it seed.
Albert, who knew the inside story of my marriage scam case, would be even easier to fool.
He already knew I had a strong preference for that kind of appearance.
‘So in the end, I’ll need Yuria’s cooperation too?’
One way or another, it seed I was destined to et this woman again.
Not that I felt guilty—she clearly intended to use for the Rabbit Tribe’s escape anyway.
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