Chapter 531

Chapter 531

By the time they reached the prisoners, Charlotte was followed not only by Ian and Thesaya but also by beastfolk warriors holding torches. Though Charlotte had given no command, they had all risen and followed her as she passed.

The warriors who had been consumed by their feral nature were lying face down on the ground, their limbs bound behind their backs in the beastfolk manner. This was true for all of them, regardless of whether they had tails or not.

The ropes, seemingly scavenged from the wreckage, varied in length and thickness, but none of them resisted their bonds. In one corner lay a pile of severed tails, all of them cut by Charlotte.

"Untie them. All of them," Charlotte said after surveying the scene.

Thesaya, standing behind her to the left, glared at the back of her head, but Charlotte paid her no mind. beastfolk rushed forward, drawing their blades and cutting the ropes. It took only a few minutes for all the prisoners to be freed.

"Great Chieftain."

As the warriors stepped back again, Idris offered the hilt of his jagged sword to Charlotte.

Taking it, Charlotte looked down at the beastfolk still lying on the ground. "Rise."

As one, they rose to their feet. Some staggered, but not a single one sat back down, not even the elderly.

About half of them looked like they’d have trouble chewing anything for a while.

"I love the Primal Wildness, but I have no intention of serving him. Not now, and not ever. I will serve the God of Battle. As you all have seen, he has chosen me," Charlotte said calmly, looking at them.

Not only the beastfolk but also Ian stopped chewing and raised his eyebrows slightly. He hadn’t expected Charlotte to make such a declaration so soon. Then again, though hidden by her fur, the combat tattoo from Karha was now etched onto her shoulder. Just because Ian didn't serve him didn't mean Charlotte wouldn't.

That bastard is probably laughing his ass off right now.

Charlotte continued, "If you will not follow me, then leave. I will not stop you. If you wish to challenge me, I will gladly accept that as well. If you choose neither, then stand behind me."

She tilted her head to the side.

The silence was brief. One by one, the beastfolk moved, limping toward a spot behind Charlotte. A few, less than five, turned and walked toward the village entrance without stopping. Charlotte neither looked back nor tried to stop them.

She simply looked toward the hut in the distance, at Palmer standing beside the entrance. Leaning against the wall, Palmer met her gaze and nodded. In his hand was a torch he’d taken from a nearby bonfire.

"Let’s go." Charlotte glanced at Ian and Thesaya before walking.

Following leisurely behind her, Thesaya looked at Ian with a strange, expectant glimmer in her eyes. Biting into the lizard with a bored expression, Ian watched the back of Charlotte’s head.

She handled that part decisively, but…

He had a feeling she might let Nehat live. Of course, that wasn't his business to interfere with. Besides, his status window had already registered Nehat as dead, and his experience points had even gone up a significant amount, more than a quest reward alone would grant.

As Palmer entered the hut with his torch, Charlotte, Ian, and Thesaya followed him inside.

Unlike the other beastfolk, Nehat was bound on her knees, completely disarmed, with both arms tied behind her back. Her severed right arm was visible, as was the slanted scar on her waist where she had been reattached.

Nehat, her cheeks bulging around a gag made from a dirty cloth, was staring, surprisingly, at Ian. Her eyes burned with fury and resentment. Ian met her gaze without flinching and popped a piece of ‌grilled lizard into his mouth. As he chewed, Nehat’s nose twitched.

"It seems you have much to say," Charlotte said, looking at Nehat with some curiosity. She bent down and tore the gag from Nehat’s mouth.

Spitting out the filthy cloth that had filled her mouth, Nehat snapped her head up. "What have you done, Ian Hope! Do you have any idea what a terrible thing you’ve just committed?"

Ah, right. You saw it too.

Swallowing the lizard he’d been chewing, bones and all, he replied, "Yes, I know full well."

"And yet how do you stand here so shamelessly before the entire clan?" Nehat asked, her face contorting.

She whipped her head around to face Charlotte. "You must kill him at once, Charlotte! This abominable human!"

"To my ears, that sounds like you’re asking me to cut out your tongue," Charlotte replied without blinking.

Nehat’s scowl deepened. "He has completely sealed away the father of us all. He has trapped the Primal Wildness! So that he can never reach us again!"

At last, Charlotte’s eyes widened. Palmer, Thesaya, and the beastfolk gathered at the entrance of the hut all stared in shock.

Charlotte’s gaze slowly turned to Ian.

He met her eyes for a moment before answering, "It’s true—"

As Charlotte’s eyes widened further, Ian looked from her to Palmer and continued, "I have completely isolated the sealed Primal Wildness. So that you can no longer reach it."

"Ian…" Charlotte breathed, stunned.

Of course, not everyone was surprised. Some bared their fangs, glaring at Ian. Low, rumbling growls spread through the crowd.

"This man is the enemy of our clan! We must avenge the great Primal Wildness," Nehat said, lifting her head as Ian watched them with impassive eyes.

"Is it because this is a den of kitties?" said Thesaya.

Nehat paused.

With a smirk on her lips, Thesaya continued, "You all spout such nonsense with such conviction, and the rest of you just sit there and believe it."

"What did you say?" Nehat’s face twisted. The other beastfolk glared at Thesaya as well.

Looking down at Thesaya, who was now openly scoffing, Nehat said, "This is not your place to interfere, Pointy-Ears."

"You’re the one who should stop talking nonsense. If you have a brain, try using it."

"Enough. Just tell us, Thesa. What do you mean by nonsense?" Charlotte said, looking at Thesaya coldly. Her tone was unusually calm.

Thesaya looked at her and shrugged. "Fine. It’s true that Sir Ian Hope is incredible. Why else would they call him a superhuman?"

After a glance at the expressionless Ian, she turned her gaze to the entrance of the hut. "However, even so, he’s still a mortal. A human. No matter how great he is, do you really think a single human can seal a god? Even if He used the power of that god’s apostle as a foothold?"

Her mocking gaze swept over Nehat’s face.

"So, you’re saying I’m lying?" Nehat said, her face crumpling.

Thesaya scoffed loudly, exaggerating the sound. "What the hell are you babbling about, you idiot? Ian just admitted it himself. How could something that impossible happen? Is your god really so weak that a single human could seal it away—just like you are suggesting? What a stupid kitty."

As Nehat froze, Thesaya clicked her tongue. "If not, then it means your god simply accepted it."

"What did you say?" Charlotte asked blankly.

Thesaya’s lips curled into a grin. "Don’t you get it? Your god wanted this. Kruxica wished to be isolated from this world. Ian was merely the tool that carried it out. Otherwise, do you think the Primal Wildness would have been sealed so obediently? With even the slightest resistance, he could have shattered a mere human’s seal long before it was complete, don’t you think?"

Nehat’s mouth fell ajar. It was clear that thought had never crossed her mind. Charlotte, Palmer, and the other beastfolk looked just as dumbfounded.

Thesaya snorted. "I’m sure the Primal Wildness chose this himself. Isn’t that right, Ian?"

It’s not like we had a direct conversation, but…

"Well…"

Ian paused—not only because Thesaya was frantically signaling with her eyes for him to play along, but because a thought occurred to him: her words, likely improvised on the spot, might actually hold some truth.

Kruxica hadn’t shown the slightest sign of resistance or denial. The chaos that had imprisoned him was mostly his own; if he had wanted to, he could have stopped it at any time.

"He did give me a choice," Ian said finally.

As if she’d been waiting for it, Thesaya smiled and asked, "What choice?"

"To either rule over the beastfolk consumed by the wildness…" Ian glanced at Charlotte and shrugged. "Or to seal him away completely. As you can see, I chose the latter."

Charlotte’s expression, who had been staring blankly at Ian, crumbled. It was a strange mix of gratitude and sorrow.

Clap.

Thesaya clapped her hands together. "That makes it clear. There’s no way Ian would try to rule you kitties. Besides being crazy enough to want to die, you’re not very useful for much else."

"It can’t… be," Nehat said, stunned. She looked up at Ian, the shock too much to bear. "But why? Why would he want to leave us? Why?" Her earlier anger had faded, leaving only a desperate, pleading edge to her voice.

Looking down at her trembling eyes, Ian let out a sigh.

I haven’t even thought about reasons like that.

"I guess he just couldn’t bear it anymore—watching the descendants he loved so deeply become corrupted because of him. He couldn’t turn a blind eye to it, either. This isn’t the first time I’ve crossed paths with Kruxica. I met him back when I fought your father," Ian said.

"My father?" Nehat’s eyes wavered even more.

"When I killed Inaskurgl, Kruxica wasn’t angry with me. He was just grateful and sad."

And tired.

Shrugging, Ian added, "That’s probably when I earned the right. As for why Kruxica saved you, I don’t really know."

The light went out of Nehat’s eyes. The pride in her lineage, the face of a chieftain with dark ambitions—it was all gone.

"Then what we must do is not seek revenge against you, Ian," said Charlotte.

She turned to face the entrance of the hut. "What we must do is not revenge, but atonement. For we are the ones who ultimately drove the Primal Wildness to leave our side."

The beastfolk lined up at the entrance now wore somber expressions.

Looking them over one by one, Charlotte said, "To survive and prosper to the very end will be the only way to atone to him. That is what the Primal Wildness would want most. Therefore, I will fight for the survival and prosperity of our clan. Any objections?"

Instead of an answer, someone howled. As if on cue, the beastfolk warriors threw their heads back to the sky and let out mournful cries.

Seriously, why do they do this when they’re not even wolves?

Ian popped the lizard’s tail into his mouth. As he tossed the wooden skewers aside, Charlotte held out her right arm.

The howling of the beastfolk immediately subsided. She looked down at Nehat, who was sitting in a daze.

"Choose, Nehat."

Nehat’s eyes rose to meet Charlotte’s.

Dangling the jagged sword in front of her, Charlotte said, "If you ‌choose to continue following Inaskurgl’s will, I will take your head. If you choose to atone to the Primal Wildness, I will take your tail. Which will you choose?"

"You would give me," Nehat began, staring blankly at Charlotte for a moment before continuing, "You would give me another chance?"

"If you will follow me."

Knew it.

Still, this wasn’t quite how he’d pictured it. Nehat didn’t seem like she’d cause trouble if she lived.

"I will follow you, Great Chieftain," Nehat finally said, bowing her head.

Charlotte nodded and strode to her side. Nehat didn’t flinch. Neither did her limp tail. Stopping beside her, Charlotte swung the sawtooth sword down.

Crack—

Nehat’s tail was severed. As blood spurted, Nehat’s head snapped up, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed. Picking up Nehat’s tail, which was spewing blood, Charlotte looked at Palmer.

"Untie her and treat her wounds," said Charlotte.

Palmer bowed his head. Charlotte turned, holding Nehat’s tail in her left hand, and faced the beastfolk.

"Prepare to leave. Gather everything you can from here. Everyone, even the old, will return to Maro Tel."

The beastfolk’s eyes widened. Charlotte added, "We now serve the God of Battle. His teaching is to fight to survive. Waiting for death is not a struggle. Remember that."

Finishing her speech, she gave a nod. The beastfolk bowed their heads and immediately turned, retreating like a receding tide.

It was then that Thesaya, a strange smile on her lips, leaned toward Ian. "Not bad, right? Our kitty."

"Yeah. She’s got the air of a chieftain," Ian replied with a nod.

Charlotte seemed to catch that. She clicked her tongue awkwardly before saying, "Thanks, Ian."

When Ian looked at her, she hesitated for a moment before adding, "For not choosing to rule the clan. You saved the beastfolk from the corrupted wildness."

"As you know, I had no such grand intentions. I just chose the option that seemed less troublesome," Ian said with a shrug.

"What about me? Wasn’t I pretty helpful this time, too?" Thesaya chimed in with a grin.

"You were. I almost built a mountain of beastfolk corpses. You did well, Thesa," Ian agreed, turning to her.

"I knew it." Thesaya beamed and gave Charlotte a look.

Charlotte frowned, then turned away and mumbled, "…nks."

"What was that? I couldn’t hear you, it was too quiet."

"I’m hungry. Let’s continue this conversation over a meal. There’s a lot I want to hear, Ian," Charlotte said, addressing Ian before walking out of the hut.

"Honestly. What’s so hard about saying it twice? Right, Ian?" Thesaya asked with a dry laugh.

Turning leisurely, Ian shrugged. "Well, for her, it’s not really that easy."