Chapter 6 : Black Dog Bandits (1)

“It’s human flesh.”

The bright red meat, still dripping with blood, was dropped in front of Gillian with a thud.

My vision was blurry, so I couldn’t see well, but I could clearly see his desperate back.

Gillian.

What kind of expression was he making?

“Gillian… Stop…”

“…..”

He turned to me with a hard-to-read expression.

Grab.

He picked up the meat, took a big bite, and chewed.

Without time to taste it, he swallowed it in one gulp.

“….Ugh…! Ugh,,!”

Physiological rejection and the depravity of the irreversible act tormented him.

The sight of his body convulsing as he vomited was, to say the least, pathetically grotesque.

When there was nothing left to vomit, stomach acid flowed out.

“….Pfft.”

The beastwoman couldn’t hold back her laughter.

“Pwahahaha! He’s a funny one!”

“Hahaha!”

The surrounding beastmen followed her and laughed.

“I wouldn’t feed you human flesh. It’s just rabbit meat.”

“…W, what did you say..!? Rabbit!?”

“Even so, to grab it and eat it right away. You’re a man, aren’t you!”

Gillian turned the remaining meat around and sighed in relief.

“Phew… Then you’ll help my friend, right!?”

“What are you talking about? She’s already being treated.”

“….Huh?”

While he was busy vomiting, the unconscious Saya’s first aid was finished.

A black-haired beastwoman with long hair approached Gillian.

“I’m sorry. Our leader likes to joke.”

“Did you see this guy eating with his eyes wide open? It’s the best thing I’ve seen this year, really! Pwahaha!”

Gillian was, it could be said, half out of his mind in this situation.

“Baekmyo, apologize, quickly.”

“Okay. I’m sorry, man. But it was the most fun.”

“….”

Are all beastmen like this?

Gillian felt a deep anger somewhere in his heart for the first time in his life.

“Boss! There’s another kid under the carriage?”

“What? Check it out!”

I opened my eyes.

This was the second unfamiliar ceiling.

‘Gillian…?’

Looking around, I saw Gillian squatting and muttering something.

“…Rabbit..meat.. haha.. hahaha..”

“..Gillian?”

“Leave him alone. He seems to be heartbroken because I played a little prank. Anyone would think I fed him real human flesh.”

A refreshing voice, coming from somewhere.

It was the 2-meter-tall rabbit beastwoman I met just before I passed out.

“That monstrous woman..!”

“Who’s a monstrous woman? Human kid.”

Looking back at where I was lying, it was on top of a cozy pile of straw.

“Are the others safe?”

“Everyone’s safe. I heard you bled yourself to summon the Sarkas? You’re not normal either.”

“…”

It was dizzying even for me to think about.

If I had failed, I would have died in vain, but anyway, it’s an experience I don’t want to have again.

Right, my notebook!

“Was there anything like a bag?”

“The boy must have taken it when searching the carriage. Look beside your head.”

Fortunately, the luggage I left at the inn was intact.

‘I’m alive..’

It’s already full of absurdity, and I wondered what would happen if this notebook, which contains the future developments, disappeared.

“By the way, where is this place..?”

“Our hideout. The hideout of the Black Dog Bandits.”

Black Dog Bandits..?

‘I never created anything like a bandit group..’

In the novel I wrote, I never set up or featured a bandit group. Did the parts I didn’t set up create themselves..?

There wasn’t much I could know at this point.

“By the way, there was another human kid tied up under the carriage. Do you know him?”

“…Yes?”

Gillian and I followed her to the basement.

Following her, I saw a familiar face trapped in a large iron cage.

“Please save me…. I’m not tasty…!”

“Do you know him?”

“….”

It was August.

“Saya, …! We’re friends, right? Right…!? Please say so..!”

“I don’t know him.”

“Hey, Gillian..! Please! Pretend you know me just once..!”

“…Rabbit meat.. hop hop..”

Gillian didn’t seem to be fully back to his senses yet.

“I’ll live really kindly. I was crazy! I’ll beg like this. Please…!”

“What should we do? This guy?”

“How about feeding him to the wolves? He’s the one who sold his friends as slaves.”

“That would be fun. Hey! Throw this guy in the forest!”

“Not the forest..! Not the forest….!”

The subordinates took him out of the iron cage and dragged him away.

I hope I don’t run into him again.

“What will happen now?”

“Well. There are a lot of Sarkas around here, so it would be a miracle if even a lump of flesh remained.”

“Save me, you
….!”

He sold his friends for a small amount of money, truly
words.

That evening, I was treated to a meal.

Unlike Luden, the table was full of meat instead of grass.

“Wow, so much meat..!”

“There’s no human flesh, so don’t worry.”

“Ugh..!”

Gillian, who was eating greedily, gagged.

“You’ve had enough fun, Captain Baekmyo.”

“I never get tired of it, that guy’s reaction.”

A slender, black-haired beastwoman scolded her.
Looking at her ears and tail, is she a dog beastman?

“I heard about the incident in the carriage. On behalf of the entire Black Dog Bandit, this Heukgyeon expresses her gratitude.”

She bowed politely to me.

Indeed, the beastmen are the most proud race among the races I created.

I could feel that aspect in the way they showed respect even to the races they were hostile to.

“It was all a coincidence.”

Even though I said that, the corners of my mouth kept rising because a beautiful beastwoman was praising me.

“Because this area is a dense forest, it’s not patrolled by guards and is often used as a s*ave transport route. We are lucky to rescue them sometimes, but most of the time it’s not easy to catch them.”

“So, kids. What are you going to do now? I won’t stop you if you say you’re going outside, but you won’t be in good shape if you run into a Sarkas.”

That’s right.

It seems that this is a bandit hideout hidden in the middle of the forest, and if Gillian and I go out into the forest, our death is certain.

“I hate humans, but considering your achievement in saving your fellow beastmen, I’ll allow you to stay here if you want.”

“What should we do, Saya?”

“…”

Let’s think about it.

Anyway, it’s still 10 years until the academy entrance date according to the novel.

I won’t starve here, and I won’t be stabbed in the back by anyone.

Of course, there will be no such thing as being sold as a s*ave.

‘There’s nothing bad. But..’

What can I gain here for the things I need to prepare to enter the academy?

If I get used to living a comfortable life being helped, I won’t be able to survive on my own.

I have a purpose.

I have to take some risks here and continue my journey.

“I appreciate your kindness, but we’re..”

“We want to stay here for 100 years-!”

“…”

“…”

Captain Baekmyo said with a puzzled expression.

“…A human’s lifespan isn’t that long.”

Crazy. Why did you suddenly pop out?

It’s been 2 years.

The damn quest that I tried so hard to find popped up just now.

‘What’s the reward this time?’

I calmed my embarrassment, sat back down, and checked the quest window.

‘Chronological table…?’

A chronological table is a table that records history, and it is a table that shows the birth process of the Armonia Empire and various historical events.

To think I made even this.

I was really crazy back then.

If I have this, it will definitely be useful information.

“Well.. Stay here or not, whatever you want. But there are three rules you need to know.”

“What are they?”

“First. Don’t leave food!”

She looked blatantly at the food I left behind.

It seemed like a silent pressure to eat, so I poured it into my mouth by the plate.

“Second. Don’t lie.”

It’s kind of cute?

It’s like kindergarten rules.

“If you break it, I’ll cut out your tongue.”

Cancel the cute part.

They don’t cut out tongues in kindergarten.

“Finally, the third.”

She pointed at us and said.

“Nothing is free. If you want to eat, you have to do something useful.”

“What do we have to do..?”

“There’s nothing set. Cooking, laundry, hunting. Anything is fine as long as you work hard.”

Is there anything I can do?

The only thing I did well in the orphanage was folding blankets.

“Okay! We’ll finish dinner here today!”

At her words, everyone quickly emptied their food, got up, and scattered.

“So fast..!”

The dog beastwoman, Heukgyeon, approached me.

“Baekmyo’s word is absolute here. If you don’t break the three rules mentioned earlier and don’t offend the captain, you’ll be able to get along well.”

It’s only been a day, but I’m already worried about the future.

‘What can I do here..?’

Thinking such thoughts, I cleared the table with Heukgyeon.

Splash.

“It’s warm..! There’s hot water here too!”

I soaked my body in the cave bath, reminiscent of a hot spring.

It feels good.

I entrusted my body to the hot water and slowly relaxed my body.

“…”

Suddenly, I remember the people I had forgotten.

‘Luna, I wonder if she’s doing well?’

It’s only been three days since I left the orphanage.

It’s only been three days, but so much has happened.

I was humiliated at the general store, put to sleep by the old hag, boarded a s*ave carriage, and barely survived.

But isn’t this difficulty too much..?

“Does it feel good? It’s my favorite place here.”

“Yes. It definitely feels goo…eek?!”

Splash.

A huge naked female body sat down next to me with a splash.

A huge lump of coppery flesh floated on the opaque surface of the water.

“What’s wrong? Is the water too hot?”

“N, no. Captain. It’s just right.”

It’s not the water, it’s my face that’s hot.

“You can call me Baekmyo. You’re not a combatant.”

Come to think of it, the completion rate hasn’t increased at all since I received the quest.

Does that mean that simply staying here doesn’t make me accepted as a Black Dog Bandit?

“Um.. To join the Black Dog Bandits, what do I have to do?”

“…Are you serious, human?”

Her voice was low, unlike before.

“The Black Dog Bandits were created to hunt humans. Mainly s*ave traders or corrupt nobles, but it doesn’t change the fact that we kill countless humans.”

“..Do you hate humans?”

“I hate them. Just thinking about it makes me furious.”

I saw the number 102 on the back of her neck, which was bowed.

“Could it be, that number..”

“Yes. I was a s*ave from birth. My mother, who gave birth to me, died shortly after.”

“..It must have been hard.”

“…”

Baekmyo didn’t say anything more.

After enjoying the hot bath for about 10 minutes without saying a word, she got up first.

“Humans are not accepted into the Black Dog Bandits. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear what you just said.”

I was left alone in the bath where she left.

Baekmyo’s hatred for humans is beyond imagination.

It seems like it will take a considerable amount of time for her to change her mind.

No, will she even change her mind?

“I don’t know~”

Sitting in the bath, I thought about various things.

Today, for the first time in my life, I thought it was good to be a woman.