TPA 13

Chapter 13

The Gourmet’s Table (8)

“Ghk—!”

Epicure collapsed with a groan of agony.

Smoke began to rise from his body.

Soon after, he shed the form of a serpent and reverted to his original human shape.

Writhing on the floor and groaning in pain, he glared at Misa with bloodshot red eyes.

“How… did you…?”

The hunch she’d had turned out to be exactly right.

The target Misa had seen was Epicure’s vital point.

It wasn’t a coincidence. She didn’t know why she could suddenly see something like that, but she’d felt compelled to shoot—an action born of pure, natural instinct.

Ul didn’t miss that fleeting moment. He immediately severed Epicure’s neck.

Having taken a fatal blow to his vital point, there was no way Epicure’s extraordinary regeneration could save him. His head rolled across the floor, spewing unintelligible words in bitter resentment for a while before finally going still.

“…He’s dead, right? It’s… all over, right?”

“Yes.”

The moment she realized it was over, it felt as if the tightness in her chest suddenly vanished.

Misa sank weakly to the floor, blinking with a dazed, foolish expression, as if she herself couldn’t quite believe it.

“How did you know where the vital point was?”

“I could see it.”

“You could see it?”

“I saw something shining. And instinctively, I thought I had to shoot there.”

Ul wondered if the influence of pheromones was causing her beastman traits to progress.

Most humans died when injected with a beastman’s pheromones. That was why Lena had produced countless casualties while creating beastmen.

However, among the extremely small number who survived, it was said that, in very rare cases, special abilities manifested.

The twelve beings Lena had created—like Epicure—likely belonged to that category.

“By the way, what was that about earlier? An ‘incomplete being’? And who is this Lena?”

“Getting out of here comes first. I’ll explain everything after.”

“Okay.”

It was over.

What had started as a simple pursuit of kidnapped children had grown into something far beyond control—and now it was finished.

A monster who had gained the people’s trust for years while secretly running a breeding ground and indulging in cannibalism was dead. Once dawn broke, the world would know.

The brutal atrocities of a beastman.

“You worked hard. And thank you. I could never have done this alone.”

“You’re the one who killed him. It was all your doing.”

“No. Without you, I’d have been dead long ago.”

Ul snorted softly and tugged Misa along by the hand.

“If you die, I’m the one who loses the most. I won’t tolerate seeing you die.”

They went down to the underground level.

They helped rescue the hostages they hadn’t been able to save earlier, then hurriedly escaped the castle.

By the time they emerged, dawn was breaking, and the city guards—summoned by the hostages’ reports—began their investigation.

“Looks like he was taken down nicely.”

A black-haired man who had been watching everything from afar expressed his regrets over the incident and withdrew.

At the same time, he showed interest in the “human woman” who traveled with a mysterious beastman—and then vanished without a trace.

“Stupid fool.”

The middle-aged man, dignified in appearance, slammed his fist onto the table in anger.

Beside him, a blonde woman rested her chin on her hand, her expression equally troubled.

“This has turned out badly. We’ll have to cover it up as thoroughly as possible.”

“Cover it up? How do you plan to cover up rumors that are already spreading?”

“They must remain only rumors.”

“……”

“Your Majesty, what do you think the people will think? That an incompetent emperor couldn’t even tell a beastman from a human and granted land to a beastman as a lord?”

“……”

“At a time when an order has already been issued to execute anyone connected to beastmen, if an incident like this becomes public, wouldn’t trust in Your Majesty plummet?”

“…I see. I’ll do as you say, Lena.”

The platinum-blonde woman—Lena—smiled and buried her face against the emperor’s shoulder.

The human emperor was incompetent and foolish. During his long reign, he had faced countless crises, and each time, Lena had helped him overcome them, earning his trust.

His faith in Lena was absolute, and thanks to that, she could easily obtain whatever she wanted.

The king built numerous laboratories for her and spared no expense in funding them.

Test subjects were also easy to acquire, which allowed her to create countless beastmen.

But he didn’t know.

He never imagined that the laboratories he so generously supported were producing beastmen who would become such a headache for him.

“I’m glad to have you by my side.”

“I’ll help you as much as I can, Your Majesty. Being even a small support to you brings me great joy.”

The emperor was timid.

That was why he could trust Lena without reservation. She was the hero who had helped him through many crises—and the only woman he loved.

He had too many things to worry about and no time to pay attention to Lena’s activities.

He simply assumed she would handle everything properly.

“Your Majesty, shall we retire to your chambers? I’ll attend you tonight.”

“Ahem… yes, let’s do that.”

The emperor’s trust was, in effect, a symbol of Lena’s power.

With the emperor behind her, Lena feared nothing. Now even nobles and royals watched her mood carefully and cowered before her.

She had no intention of ever letting go of this lifeline.

Not until she achieved the goal she had long desired.

Despite the fact that a beastman had masqueraded as a human and ruled as a lord—an issue that should have shaken society to its core—the world remained quiet.

The shocking incident that occurred in a small rural territory was quietly buried.

This was only possible because of the immense pressure exerted by the emperor, ruler of the empire.

A gag order was placed on everyone involved. The victims’ families were silenced with enormous compensation.

It was unjust—but unavoidable.

Thus, the grievances of those who had suffered under Epicure vanished into the abyss.

“I knew you’d pull something like this someday.”

Glam sighed heavily, his face grim.

“You were supposed to be resting during your leave, and instead you get dragged into a major incident and make a mess of things?”

“Was I supposed to pretend I didn’t see children being kidnapped?”

“I’m not blaming you.”

“I know.”

“But His Majesty might be blaming you. That’s probably why he made such an unfair decision.”

Misa, who had uncovered everything, deserved a reward—yet she was being punished instead.

The reason was simple.

It was the emperor who had appointed Epicure as a lord and granted him land.

If the truth became public, resentment toward the emperor would grow, and he would be branded as the foolish ruler who gave public office to a beastman.

“A beastman acting as a lord and turning an entire territory into a breeding ground for humans… that certainly goes beyond common sense.”

“There can’t be just one or two like him. There might be many more hiding among humans, committing brutal massacres…”

“I understand how you feel.”

Of course it was unfair.

She had simply done what needed to be done, and everyone had the right to know the truth.

She hadn’t wanted a lavish reward.

She just couldn’t stand the fact that the countless people Epicure had killed while pretending to be human—the victims who’d died unjustly—would be buried forever in darkness.

“What you did was never wrong.”

“…It seems the emperor values his own pride more than the safety of his people. Judging by how he handled this.”

At Misa’s mutter, Glam quickly glanced around and lowered his voice.

“Watch what you say. No matter how unreliable he is, he’s still the emperor. Unless you want to be charged with lèse-majesté, keep your mouth shut.”

“Fine. Then how long is my suspension?”

“One month.”

“Ugh… that’s way too long.”

“It can’t be helped. It was a direct order from His Majesty. My hands are tied.”

“Anyone would think I committed a capital crime.”

“Whatever the case, be careful. You’ve definitely fallen out of favor with His Majesty this time.”

Misa flared up at his words.

“No, I just did my job! Why do I have to worry about his mood and get suspended unfairly?!”

Glam lightly patted her trembling shoulder.

“You did well.”

“……”

“No matter what anyone says, this was mostly your achievement. You did well. I’ll properly praise you this time.”

Glam had watched Misa longer than anyone else, ever since she’d started this life at a young age.

To him, she was practically family—and she felt the same.

“I was whining on purpose just to hear you say that.”

“I know. I’ve known you for years—how could I not?”

“I’m sorry. I always cause trouble.”

“If you know that, try behaving yourself. And during this suspension, think of it as a break and actually rest. Though knowing you, you’ll still run around getting into things.”

“Then why nag when you know it’s pointless?”

“Watch your mouth! I’ll—”

“I’m kidding. I’ll visit often.”

“Wait. Take this.”

Glam handed her a file.

“What’s this?”

“If you’re going to snoop around anyway, use it as reference.”

Inside were investigation records of recent incidents in the area.

There were quite a few unsolved cases.

“Thanks. You really are the best, Dad.”

“Who are you calling Dad? I’m not old enough for that! I’m still young!”

“What’s young about late thirties? You should hurry up and get married.”

“Shut up. Worry about yourself. And while you’re resting, try getting a boyfriend. Do some dating.”

“As if dating is something you can just decide to do. That’s for people with money and free time.”

“Plenty of people date without either. Excuses, excuses.”

“You need a good man first to even feel like it.”

“Then try looking.”

“No thanks. I’d rather hunt down another beastman.”

Glam shook his head.

“You’re completely obsessed with beastmen. At this rate, you’ll end up marrying one.”

Why was it?

Why, at this exact moment, did the image of a wolf probably munching on feed at home come to mind?

Misa’s face flushed like a ripe peach.

“N-no! Don’t say such horrible things!”

She shrieked and stormed out of the Investigation Bureau, stomping loudly. Watching her go, Glam muttered quietly,

“I was just joking—why is she overreacting like that?”

At that moment, he didn’t know.

That even a joke could take root and become reality.

It hadn’t been that long since beastmen stole the night from humans.

People grew fearful as they saw victims fall to beastmen night after night, locking their doors and refusing to go outside after dark.

Even Estella, the capital once famed for its beautiful nightscape, was no exception.

The emperor imposed a curfew to restrict nighttime movement, yet victims continued to appear.

Most beastmen preferred hunting at night, but some boldly hunted during the day. And above all, there were always those who secretly indulged in forbidden hours.

“Mmmh….”

A high moan escaped a woman’s parted lips.

Her flushed face was slick with sweat, her carefully applied makeup smeared—but she didn’t care, focused solely on the act.

A man’s large hands slipped beneath her clothes with practiced ease, tracing the curves of her body. Each touch drew shameless moans from her in response.

In the quiet dawn, the intimacy of an outdoor tryst heightened her excitement, and combined with the man’s skilled touch, pleasure surged toward its peak.

They were strangers, yet there was no hesitation in their entwined movements.

Her fallen dress pooled on the ground, cold asphalt pressing against bare white skin.

“…Y-you… huff… what’s your name?”

The man gazed calmly at her disheveled face, his own expression neat to the point of dryness.

Despite sharing the same act, their reactions were starkly different. The man remained immaculate, not a strand of hair out of place.

“Is that really necessary to know?”

Despite his stiff tone, the woman only clung to him and smiled.

“I’d like to share moments like this more often.”

A faint smile curved the man’s lips.

But it was closer to a sneer than affection.

“Pleasure beneath forbidden hours is quite enticing.”

“……”