TPA 09

Chapter 9

The Gourmet’s Table (4)

2018.01.01.

At his single remark, Misa felt as though her breath had been knocked out of her.

A chilling sensation wrapped around her body, and goosebumps rose along her skin. Keeping herself composed, she fixed her gaze on the man Ul had indicated.

The man was chatting casually with the soldiers guarding the gate and conducting inspections. There was nothing about him that differed from an ordinary human. Even knowing he was a beast-person, his calm, unshakable demeanor left no room for suspicion—and that alone sent a shiver down her spine.

“…They’re not even checking.”

Despite protocol requiring every item loaded onto a cargo wagon to be unloaded and inspected one by one, the man never removed his cargo.

Instead, he handed the soldiers a heavy pouch.

The moment she saw that, a sigh escaped Misa’s lips.

“How is it that everything is unfolding exactly as we predicted, without a single deviation?”

“Calm down.”

Ul took Misa’s trembling hand, grounding her.

“You said you smelled humans, right? How many?”

“About three.”

“Judging by the size of the sacks, they’re definitely holding children.”

She was glad she had brought Ul with her.

The sense of smell of beast-people was exceptional—sharp enough to clearly detect scents from over a kilometer away.

Given that beast-people were essentially a race that combined the best traits of humans and animals, it was only natural that they far surpassed humans physically.

“Let’s follow them. If we tail that wagon, we’ll find out where the missing children were taken.”

There was no way to chase a cargo wagon on foot.

Ul let out a low sigh and transformed into a massive wolf. Misa climbed onto his back, and he leapt over the city wall with ease.

Then he began chasing after the wagon at full speed.

“What do you think they’re planning to do with the children? Do you think the ones who were taken earlier are still okay?”

“Who knows.”

“I have a bad feeling. The moment I saw that beast-person, I got chills all over. Whenever that happens, something terrible always follows.”

“It won’t be anything good. If a beast-person’s involved, there are only two possibilities.”

Either they were kidnapped to be eaten—

—or they’d fallen into the hands of some deviant freak with twisted tastes.

“Either way, it’s the worst.”

Yes. The worst.

The very fact that a beast-person was behind this meant the odds of the children surviving were devastatingly low.

“I just hope they’re all alive. Honestly, the chances that those kids are still completely unharmed are extremely slim, which makes this even more miserable. Should we just ambush the wagon right now and at least save the children inside it?”

“There might still be children alive elsewhere. Finding their destination comes first. I know you’re anxious, but endure it a little longer.”

Ul followed stealthily, careful not to be noticed.

The wagon carrying the children showed no signs of slowing down, even after leaving the capital behind.

The tense pursuit dragged on. After passing through the outer regions surrounding the capital, the wagon continued onward—through two more cities.

As the second day turned into the third, they finally reached the wagon’s destination.

The place they arrived at was a small territory called Dentallian, far removed from the capital.

“Are you okay?”

“With what?”

“You ran nonstop for two days and nights. Aren’t you tired?”

“Not really.”

“You’ve got monster-level stamina.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? My body’s built differently from a human’s.”

“Well, as long as you’re okay.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than the wagon passed through the castle gate. Once it disappeared beyond the walls, they could no longer pursue it, so Ul and Misa stopped.

“Why… why are kidnapped children being taken inside a castle? Don’t tell me the one behind this is the lord of Dentallian.”

The gate shut closed.

Misa stared up at the towering walls with a hollow expression.

She’d expected there to be someone pulling the strings—but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined it would be a noble. A territorial lord, no less.

What in the world was he doing?

What was he planning to do with the children?

She sank to the ground, completely drained.

“We’re doomed. The kids were taken into the lord’s castle. How are we supposed to get them out now?”

“Why wouldn’t we be able to?”

“Are you joking? Look at those walls. Look at the soldiers guarding the gates. It’s harder for an ordinary person to meet a noble than it is to pluck a star from the sky. He won’t see us.”

And if they moved recklessly, the children already inside could be put in even greater danger.

“Is the lord of this castle really human?”

Ul, who had been staring intently at the castle walls, twitched his brow.

A foul stench wafted from beyond the walls.

It was an overwhelming, nauseating mix of odors—but Ul recognized them clearly.

The scent of blood mingled with rotting corpses.

And the scent of his own kind.

“…He’s human, right?”

“It doesn’t smell human.”

Ul’s murmured words made Misa freeze.

A chill ran down her spine, and she hunched her shoulders as she turned to him with trembling eyes.

“That—that can’t be true.”

“There’s blood in the air beyond the walls. And the stench of decaying bodies.”

“……”

“There are multiple scents mixed together. I can also faintly sense beast-person pheromones.”

“Maybe it’s just the man we saw earlier.”

“No. It’s different.”

Was she cursed?

Lately, events that defied common sense kept piling up.

Ul’s very existence. The beast-person whose weak point had been his thigh. And now the lord of an entire territory—a noble personally granted a title by the Emperor—might be a beast-person.

Did that make any sense at all?

“If that’s true, then we’ve gotten ourselves tangled up in something truly enormous.”

“You didn’t get tangled up. You jumped in headfirst, fearless as always.”

“Either way, we have to save the children.”

“If we go back now, all this running would’ve been for nothing.”

“Is there really no way? If we could just sneak inside the castle somehow, I’d figure something out.”

“Security will loosen at night. That’ll be our chance.”

“You have a plan?”

“We jump the walls and infiltrate. If I transform, scaling the walls won’t be a problem.”

“You’re right—trying to break in right now would be suicide. The place must be crawling with guards.”

Her heart was racing, but rushing in and ruining everything would only make matters worse. Waiting until night seemed like the best option.

“Let’s head somewhere people gather. We can learn more about the lord—and get something to eat.”

If infiltration wasn’t possible right away, gathering information first was the smart move.

Ul agreed, and the two headed toward the residential area.

Since the territory was small, the population was smaller than expected.

The place felt like a quiet, peaceful countryside village. Most of the residents were elderly rather than young.

The people strolling through the streets wore relaxed expressions.

Unlike the capital—where nearly everyone walked around stiff and tense—this place felt warm and unhurried.

“On the surface, it really does look peaceful.”

And yet the ruler of such a place might be a beast-person?

Misa let out a hollow laugh and stepped into a tavern that sold food and drink.

A serving woman approached and looked Misa and Ul up and down.

Her gaze lingered especially long on Ul’s face. She suddenly fanned herself with her hand, then turned around and led them to a table.

“You must be travelers.”

She asked with flushed cheeks, and Misa nodded.

“Yes, we’re from the capital.”

“Are you here for sightseeing?”

“Well… something like that.”

She couldn’t exactly say they were following kidnappers.

Misa smiled awkwardly.

“That’s unusual. Since this place is deep in the mountains, we don’t get many outsiders.”

“Haha, I just enjoy exploring remote places.”

“I see. What would you like to order?”

“Hmm, we’re not familiar with the food here, so please bring us whatever’s best.”

“And to drink?”

“We’re fine without drinks.”

The woman took their order and brought water and dishes.

Misa noticed her sneaking glances at Ul.

Smiling knowingly, Misa asked,

“What kind of person is the lord here?”

“He’s an absolutely wonderful man.”

“So the territory doesn’t suffer much from exploitation or tyranny?”

“Exploitation? Tyranny? Not at all. He’s an incredible person. Every month, he distributes rice and food to the people, and he even provides clothes and meals to street orphans.”

“That must be why everyone looks so happy.”

“This place is paradise. Especially for those with nothing—it’s practically heaven. There’s no one more admirable than our lord. In this territory, he’s no different from a god.”

The woman praised the lord with the fervor of a parent bragging about their child.

According to her, the lord was relatively young and devoted himself to helping those struggling to survive.

His good deeds were endless, the people were satisfied with their lives, respected him deeply, and insisted there was no one better.

“Can ordinary people enter the castle?”

“No. No one is allowed inside the lord’s castle without permission.”

So the castle was completely closed off.

“He sounds so admirable. I’d love to meet him someday.”

“You can, actually.”

“Where?”

“At the central plaza. Today just happens to be the monthly巡回 event.”

“A巡回 event?”

“It’s the day the lord comes outside the castle to personally inspect the territory.”

Perfect timing.

Ul murmured quietly at her side.

After the woman set down their food and left, Misa spoke softly.

“I’m surprised. His reputation is nothing like what I expected. Just hearing her talk, he sounds like a saint.”

“Whether he’s a beast-person or not, there’s definitely one inside the castle.”

“At least we’ll get a look at him. We’ll know if he’s a beast-person just by seeing him, right?”

As she cut her meat with a knife, Misa held out a forkful.

“Want some?”

“No.”

“They probably sell feed somewhere around here. I’ll buy you some after we eat.”

Ul turned away with a sulky expression, though his irritation visibly softened.

He’s kind of like a big dog.

Misa grinned and took a bite of her meat.

“Thank you—for coming all this way. You’ve helped a lot.”

Without him, she wouldn’t have made it this far.

She was genuinely grateful that he’d run nonstop for two days and nights without complaint.

“Then stop arguing and marry me.”

Choke.

Misa coughed violently, pounding her chest as she covered her mouth.

“Hey! Stop throwing those straight at me out of nowhere! You’re embarrassing me!”

“I treat you well.”

“That’s beside the point! Marriage is supposed to be the result of love! You have to love someone to get married!”

“Picky.”

“Marriage is something you have to be careful about. It can completely change your life.”

“My life already changed when I met you.”

Flustered, Misa cleared her throat and shoved more food into her mouth, chewing noisily as she stood up.

Ul watched her rush off to pay, gesturing impatiently, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The plaza was already packed with people.

Even though there was still an hour until the lord’s arrival, the crowd was enormous.

It felt as though the entire territory had gathered.

“The trust these people have in their lord is incredible.”

Now she was genuinely curious about the man. What had he done to inspire such devotion?

Trust between a lord and his people was not easily earned. In most territories, exploitation and abuse were constant social issues.

“Whether he’s a beast-person or not, I’ll admit he’s impressive. This kind of trust isn’t built overnight. It takes a very long time.”

Her admiration only deepened her unease.

Children were being held captive in the castle of such a man.

What was he planning to do with them?

The discomfort refused to fade.

As they waited, the crowd only grew denser. Eventually, it became so packed it felt like one wrong move could get them crushed.

Then, from afar, a luxurious carriage appeared.

Soldiers surrounded it, guarding the lord.

“Ugh.”

Misa bounced on her toes, trying desperately to catch a glimpse, before finally slumping in defeat.

“Trying hard, aren’t you?”

Ul teased, and she replied gloomily,

“If nothing else, my height really lets me down.”

If you’re ugly, you can fix it. Fat, you lose weight. Too skinny, you gain it.

But height?

That was beyond human control.

Being stuck in the low 150s wasn’t something you could stretch away.

“This cursed body…”

Sighing in frustration, Misa didn’t notice Ul suddenly grab her waist.

“W–wait—!”

And lift her onto his shoulders.

“You can see now, right?”

“Put me down! What are you doing—this is indecent!”

“You said you wanted to see.”

“Well, yes, but… we stand out! And aren’t I heavy?”

Ul replied flatly.

“Not really. You should gain some weight.”

Small.

Too small.

So thin it was hard to believe she could fight beast-people at all.

“With a body like this, you’ll end up sickly.”

“Sickly? I might look like this, but my stamina’s incredible!”

“You’re fine while you’re young. When you get older, it’ll catch up to you.”

“…Are you worried about me?”

“If you want to call it that. You’re the rope holding my life together.”

His indifferent reply made Misa pout in disappointment.

Then—

Cheers erupted.

The carriage door opened, and the star of the day emerged.

As she stared at the man stepping out between the soldiers, Misa’s body went rigid.

The lord was far younger—and far more beautiful—than she’d expected.

His neatly curved lips held a gentle smile, and beneath his black hair, his skin was pale to the point of translucence.

His refined, gentlemanly appearance was more than enough to win people over.

But—

Misa saw something else.

What is this… this horrifying feeling?

A snake.

A black serpent flicking its tongue as it appraised its prey.

Behind those sharply slit eyes lurked something predatory.

It felt similar to when she’d first met Ul—but different.

More threatening.

More revolting.

A presence so vile she never wanted to associate with it again washed over her.

And then—

“Ugh…”

A nauseating, overpowering stench of blood filled the air, so strong it made her want to vomit.