Chapter 28
Venus of Blood (2)
In truth, the ghost stories circulating about Cheite were already so famous that they had reached even the capital. And yet, the number of tourists visiting the place remained surprisingly high.
What was truly ridiculous was that these ghost stories didn’t reduce the number of visitors at all—in fact, they played a major role in increasing them.
“Next to Marquis Cheite’s estate, there’s a huge lake. Apparently that lake has recently become the hottest tourist attraction. All thanks to that ghost story—about the smell of blood and corpses floating on the surface.”
“So that’s the lake over there. It’s quite large.”
“I hear it’s the third-largest lake in the Empire. Ever since the rumors started spreading, more and more people have been coming here. A lot of them want to see for themselves whether it’s really a cursed lake—whether bloodstained corpses really float there, or if the lake turns red at night.”
It was probably similar to the psychology behind visiting haunted houses.
Ever since the rumors spread, the lake had become a place of terror—but at the same time, it had also become a place of curiosity. Could it really be true?
“So people are coming here out of curiosity. What a ridiculous situation.”
“If you look at ancient myths, taboos imposed by the gods are always broken in the end. Pandora couldn’t overcome her curiosity and opened the forbidden box given to her by the gods, unleashing calamity. And there’s the story of the man who lost his wife forever because he couldn’t keep his promise not to look back while bringing her back from the underworld.”
Curiosity, too, was a natural human instinct.
Humans were creatures that constantly questioned existence and reasons, endlessly seeking answers. And that curiosity was what had driven boundless progress.
“Curiosity must have drawn people here. They were afraid of the rumors, but at the same time felt an urge to see for themselves.”
“If it had remained just a rumor, it wouldn’t have been such a big problem.”
Ul let out a hollow chuckle as he stared at the lake, from which the stench of decay wafted heavily.
“Just the number of people buried beneath that lake probably exceeds a thousand.”
“Once I learned that the owner of this place is a beastman, I never thought those rumors were just stories.”
“Seems the rumors about the smell of blood around the estate are true. Feels like my nose is about to rot.”
“Looks like old habits really don’t die.”
Well, if she had no intention of restraining her desires, it would be stranger if she didn’t do things like this.
If she hadn’t been killing people, it might have felt even more suspicious.
“Let’s thoroughly look around the territory first. Finding the laboratory is our priority.”
Even if they knew for a fact that Lise was killing people and dumping their bodies at the bottom of the lake, there was nothing they could do right now.
They were outsiders, disguised as tourists. Sneaking into the marquis’s estate under those circumstances was practically impossible.
This was different from the Epicure incident.
Back then, it had been a castle; here, it was an estate with a smaller interior, making infiltration more likely to be discovered quickly. And during the Epicure case, they already had solid proof that he had kidnapped children, so there was no risk of slander. But now, Misa and Ul knew nothing concrete about Lise.
Even if the lake reeked of blood, they didn’t know what she was doing inside the estate. They hadn’t witnessed her killing anyone or disposing of bodies with their own eyes.
If they acted rashly and infiltrated the estate, they could easily be mistaken for intruders and end up on the receiving end.
So for now, they decided to follow their original objective and focus on finding the laboratory first.
“Finding the lab by smell alone would be difficult, right?”
“No matter how good my sense of smell is, it’s not infinite.”
“And it’s not like there’d be a smell of blood or anything. Finding a lab just by scent would be tough.”
“Instead of blood, it smells like pheromones.”
“Pheromones?”
“Turning humans into beastmen requires pheromone injections as a basic step. The researchers in the lab conduct experiments using samples made by condensing Rena’s pheromones.”
“Then if we get close to the lab, you might be able to pinpoint its location by smell?”
“Right. The problem is that we don’t know where it is in the first place.”
“What’s the range of your sense of smell?”
“About one kilometer.”
It was an unimaginable range for a human—but still not enough to cover the entirety of this vast territory.
“Then we’ll have to walk around diligently.”
As Misa pondered where to start, Ul grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
“Let’s head to the market district first.”
“The town? Why the shops?”
“There are a lot of people coming and going.”
“Well, yes—but most of them will be tourists or locals.”
“The researchers are probably humans hired for pay. They’d have to come into town frequently to buy supplies.”
“Oh—that makes sense.”
Rather than searching directly for the lab, it might be easier to track humans carrying Rena’s pheromones and follow them back to its location.
“That does sound better than blindly searching for a lab that may or may not even exist. While we’re in town, let’s also look into Marquis Ferentz.”
From the beginning, the assumption that the lab existed here was just that—an assumption.
It was only speculation. There was no certainty that a laboratory producing beastmen actually existed here.
Even if they couldn’t find a lab—or if there wasn’t one at all—they couldn’t return empty-handed.
There was still Lise.
They needed to uncover her true nature and kill her.
Before opening the door, Aroma took a short, steadying breath.
In truth, ever since Aroma had become a beastman and Rena had given her a name, Rena had never once threatened her or raised her voice at her.
And yet, deep within Aroma’s heart, an instinctive fear remained.
What had been continuously injected into her body was Rena’s pheromones, and those pheromones had inflicted endless pain until Aroma had fully transformed into a beastman.
This horrific scent—something she desperately wanted to erase from her mind—was, regrettably, carved deep into her memories.
Her entire body remembered it.
The pain of that moment.
The overwhelming stench of those pheromones.
“What were you thinking about, standing there for so long, my dear?”
As soon as she opened the door and stepped inside, Rena greeted her as if she had been waiting.
“Why didn’t you play with your friend a little longer?”
Rena’s tone was gentle, like a mother speaking to her child. But at those words, Aroma felt her entire body freeze.
Her shoulders hunched involuntarily. Seeing this, Rena clicked her tongue softly in pity.
“Oh dear. My youngest daughter is especially fragile compared to the others. It worries me.”
“……”
“Didn’t you enjoy spending time with your friend?”
“……There’s no way Misa would recognize me now that I’ve become a monster.”
Instinctively, Aroma lied to Rena.
She was afraid her true feelings would be exposed—but Rena didn’t seem to doubt her words at all.
After all, fear and hatred of beastmen were natural human reactions.
“That’s true. You’re different from humans now. You’re far more special. Humans who can’t understand our superiority are the ones at fault.”
“……”
“But that child will come to understand someday. Because Ul is by her side.”
“Are you going to kill my friend?”
It was a question that came out of nowhere.
The words that slipped from Aroma’s unconscious mind startled even herself. But the one being asked responded calmly, as if it were nothing.
“Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“If things go wrong—if the situation calls for it—I’ll kill her.”
“……”
“Honestly, I’d like to kill her right away. But she’s far too valuable to waste like that. There’s a lot to gain from that child.”
“What are you planning to do? Are you going to make my friend like me?”
“Yes. That child is special. If she endured Ul’s pheromones, she’ll endure mine as well. Complete beastman transformation will be possible. She won’t remain an incomplete existence like now—she’ll be reborn as something complete.”
And that child would be born a beastman more special than any other.
Because she would possess Ul’s pheromones as well.
A new beastman, carrying two kinds of pheromones, would be born. She would undoubtedly surpass all previous ‘masterpieces’—a truly exceptional creation.
“Then why are you leaving her alone for now?”
“Because the changes are still ongoing.”
“……Ongoing?”
“The pheromones inside her are continuously altering her body. The changes will continue, and then stop once they reach a certain point. That moment will be… the optimal time to use her as a test subject.”
“……So my friend will become a beastman like me.”
“Of course. Aren’t you happy? If she becomes a beastman, you’ll be able to grow even closer.”
Aroma stared blankly at Rena, then forced the corners of her mouth upward.
“……I think it would be nice to be closer.”
“That’s right. So be patient. Stay close to her and watch over her. And then, tell your mother about what happens on that day.”
Aroma nodded, forcing herself to comply.
Her heart pounded with fear that her true feelings might be exposed.
But Rena, as if completely unaware of Aroma’s inner turmoil, smiled and returned her focus to her makeup.
Just being beside her made Aroma feel suffocated as she slowly sat down.
I want to go back.
The moment she was separated from Misa, her urges began to boil over. Her body, having grown accustomed to peace, now seemed to go mad in compensation—demanding more.
Hunt a human.
Kill.
She didn’t know when Misa would return. She could get caught up in something dangerous and suffer a terrible fate.
Please come back quickly, Misa…
Aroma tried desperately to shake off these ominous thoughts.
More than a lifetime of suffering under her urges, she was terrified of what might happen to Misa right now. Misa was the only person she could rely on.
Please come back safely…
So she prayed fervently to the god who had abandoned her.
Please return without harm.
Please come back alive.
Save her.
She cried out desperately.
And as she watched her daughter casually tell lies, Rena merely smiled.
Unaware that the smile she wore was that of a predator gazing at its prey.
The town was bustling with tourists and long-time residents alike.
The locals were busy trying to sell anything to the tourists, while the visitors spent their time eating local food, buying souvenirs, or taking photos.
With so many outsiders around, Ul’s unusual hair color didn’t stand out much.
However, regardless of hair color, his looks alone were impossible to ignore.
“Young master, how about staying at our place tonight? We offer excellent service.”
“Oh my, isn’t our place better than that one? Our food is superior, and we have a much wider selection of drinks.”
“Hey, you shameless bitch! Can’t you see I was soliciting first?”
“Oh? Since when did solicitation have an order? Whoever snatches them first wins, doesn’t it?”
“You little—!”
“What, you want to fight? Huh? Fine! Let’s see who dies today!”
The residents were desperate to drag tourists into their establishments—but among them, those clinging to Ul were by far the worst.
Especially the fierce competition among brothel madams.
Clearly irritated, Misa pushed away the madams and temptresses clinging to Ul and dragged him elsewhere.
“Seriously, who do they think they’re dealing with?!”
“Why are you getting angry?”
“Running a brothel is blatantly illegal to begin with. Of course I’m not going to look kindly on money-crazed people openly soliciting tourists in broad daylight.”
“For something illegal, they’re pretty open about it.”
“It’s ‘illegal’ in name only. There’s barely any enforcement. With the lord’s permission, anything goes. And that aggressive, grab-you-by-force attitude just breeds resentment.”
Though they made their living off tourists, the vendors’ behavior was utterly brazen.
Desperate to pull customers into their businesses, they raised their voices and even tried to drag away people who clearly refused.
“They look completely insane over money.”
Such service was shocking for what was supposed to be a resort town.
But Misa soon learned why these people were so desperate.
It was when she witnessed the owner of a restaurant being scolded by the lord’s private soldiers.
“The tribute is far less than last month!”
“But this month, this is the best I could do… My father’s medicine cost a lot…”
“Hmph. Medicine? You should’ve secured the lord’s tax before worrying about buying medicine. Isn’t that the duty of a subject?”
“……I’m sorry. I truly am. Next month, I’ll pay both this month’s shortfall and next month’s amount.”
“There’s a limit to our generosity, woman. If you’re under our protection, you need to pay the appropriate taxes. Right?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll definitely make up the difference next month.”
After intimidating the shop owner, the soldiers collected the tribute and left.
The owner, seemingly accustomed to such tyranny, didn’t even look surprised and returned to taking orders and serving food.
When she brought the dishes to Misa’s table, Misa quietly asked her,
“Who were those soldiers?”
“They’re the lord’s private soldiers. I failed to meet this month’s quota, so… they caused a disturbance.”
“Even with good business, it’s that hard to pay taxes?”
At Misa’s question, the owner glanced around and whispered softly.
“Based on current income, about 80% goes to the lord.”
“Eighty percent?”
“On top of that, they take rice, fruit, and other goods. After paying the tribute, there’s barely anything left.”
“That’s… excessive.”
“It is. Several merchants have already gone bankrupt. If you fail to meet the quota on time, you’re punished or driven out.”
“So that’s why everyone was so desperate.”
“Business is good now, so we manage. But in slow months, we often fail to meet the quota. To survive, we have no choice but to sell even one more item.”
“I see. Thank you for the food. We’ll enjoy it.”
“Alright.”
The owner hurried off to attend to the next customer.
Watching her retreating figure with pity, Misa rested her chin on her hand and clicked her tongue.
“Looks like oppression here is pretty severe. Epicure at least treated the people of his territory decently.”
“Well, this is probably the norm.”
“True. Tyranny like this is usually the standard. By the way—any scent yet?”
Ul shook his head.
“Nothing.”
While eating, Misa glanced out the window.
“It’ll be dark soon. With those heavy clouds, it looks like it’s going to rain. We should hurry and find lodging.”
She hastily finished her meal, and Ul poured her some water, worried she might get indigestion.
By the time they stepped outside, raindrops had begun to fall.
One drop, then two—soon the rain grew heavier. Misa yelped and grabbed Ul’s hand.
“An inn! Let’s find an inn first!”
They broke into a sudden sprint through the rain.
They checked several lodgings, but with night falling and rain pouring, finding a vacant room wasn’t easy.
By the time they realized it, they looked like drowned rats.
Just as they began to worry they might have to sleep outside, they found an old inn that looked ready to collapse.
They rushed inside—and luckily, one small room was still available.
Without thinking much, Misa paid the money, took the key, and climbed the stairs. It was only when she reached the door that she finally realized their situation.
“What are you standing there like an idiot for?”
A man and a woman, soaked to the bone, would have to spend the night together in a narrow single room.
