#043. The Noble Academy is Too Kind (3)

#043. The Noble Academy is Too Kind (3)

The theory may be complex, but the principle is simple.

The sophistry may be convoluted, but the truth is clear.

Guild Master Sodom did not ignore the truths of the world and the clear, correct words of his own inner voice.

“Ian is right.”

“We built the pioneer village and formed the Sodom Guild with the dreams and hopes, and the sacrifices, of countless young people, but we ignored their sacrifices and turned a blind eye to the birth of the alleys.”

“Ian has corrected my error. The mainstays of our village and Guild now teach the young people the power and wisdom to paint new dreams and hopes. Their existence no longer signifies alleys and despair.”

Sodom’s heart swelled.

The hearts of the Guild’s adventurers swelled along with it.

A burning heat, worthy of the brightest star, bloomed in everyone’s heart.

“Ian drove out the alleys of Sodom, and now he is asking us to reach out to another alley in the form of the beastfolk encampment, which we have been ignoring and trying to avoid.”

“Will you falter again this time? Remain silent and look away? No! I will not. Just as all the change we achieved by not fearing to confront Gomorrah was precious, so too will we forge another precious future.”

“Adventurers, take up your arms! We shall, with our strength, with the voice of conscience that our strength and intellect cries out, rescue the beastfolk!”

The Guild Master’s impassioned speech ignited the adventurers, their spirits soaring higher still.

“Even the Guild Master, a man, is so worked up. Born as a sturdy woman, I can’t afford to whine.”

“Honestly. That man can’t even wield a weapon properly, what’s he thinking coming along? If a man gets hurt, the nights get awkward, so I suppose I should protect him.”

The earth gave way beneath them, a pitfall set by the black mole beastfolk, their ankles sinking into the soil.

Seizing the opportunity, the ambushing black mole beastfolk unleashed a volley of arrows, but the adventurers, united in purpose, instead of blindly charging forward in pursuit of glory, stood guard beside their ensnared companions.

The faces of the black mole beastfolk contorted, unable to conceal their dismay.

“This isn’t how it was supposed to go.”

“Aren’t adventurers a people without loyalty?”

“If they are not merely adventurers, but disguised soldiers, then it’s plausible.”

“They were in league with the West Wood Frontier Army?”

“We’ve been used in the nobles’ power struggles.”

The will to fight drained from the black mole beastfolk.

The information they received was incomplete.

Whether this was the will of the Beastfolk Restoration Society, or a trap they themselves were unaware of, remained uncertain.

Nevertheless, doubt had taken root.

Had the Beastfolk Restoration Society used them as bait, inflicted losses upon them, and then discarded them as expendable pawns in order to later demand compensation for the damage?

If they were such pawns, would anyone be allowed to leave this place alive, or, even if they survived, would their existence be erased to prevent future complications?

With such suspicions festering, the beastfolk assassins could no longer focus solely on the enemies before them.

They were haunted by the thought of the Beastfolk Restoration Society’s executioners, who might appear at any moment, seeking to eliminate them from behind.

“Their hearts have left the battlefield!”

“Press the attack!”

As the adventurers’ momentum grew, the beastfolk’s dwindled.

Instead of fiercely resisting their disadvantage, they conserved their strength, cautiously glancing around, eager to retreat.

“…The mission has failed. Everyone, scatter!”

The black mole beastfolk tribe abandoned their objective.

The Beastfolk Alliance, the Beastfolk Restoration Society, the nobles’ private soldiers – none could be trusted.

From the moment they resolved to hide in the remote outskirts, the war was already over.

While the beastfolk encampment suffered damage, the swift support prevented complete annihilation.

It was a major victory.

“It is not time to celebrate yetnya!”

“An hostile species is missingmeow!”

The urgent cries of the beastfolk, filled with ‘meows’ and ‘nyas’, made the adventurers realize the situation was not over.

If the whereabouts of one assassin species that attacked the beastfolk encampment were unknown, where could they be?

Sodom, the Guild Master who led so many adventurers out for the rescue, understood the answer.

“A feint! They targeted the village! They targeted our Sodom village, where the forces have been thinned out!!”

Moreover, there was someone in the village they would be after.

The figure that sparked the beastfolk in the beastfolk encampment to revolt against the carnivore beastfolk.

Ian, the eldest son of Theresa, the clan leader of the Theresa Clan.

The adventurers’ faces had grown grim.

No matter how quickly they moved now, the future remained: the guild, practically defenseless, would be breached, and Ian would be hurt. They couldn’t outrun it.

“Damn. I know we’re late, but we have to hurry anyway.”

“Ugh. If I hadn’t injured my leg getting through that trap…!”

Despite their weakened bodies and the exhaustion from the fighting, they prepared for their urgent return, displaying a palpable regret.

But their path was blocked.

It was the beastkin who had been rescued, those in the best condition.

“Our feet are faster, nya.”

“We repay kindness with kindness, woof!”

The swiftest of the beastkin raced toward Sodom Village.

The Sodom Guild Master prayed fervently.

‘My foolishness led too many adventurers away from the village. If only I had remained at the guild, I would have been the target instead of Ian!’

The things he had done for that child had ironically led to his current peril.

His gut twisted with remorse.

If Ian were to suffer even a scratch, he would never know a peaceful night again, burdened by guilt.

‘Please, let Ian be safe!’

His desperate prayer hung in the air as he arrived at Sodom Village, a step behind the beastkin.

The chaotic atmosphere of the village tightened his resolve. He gritted his teeth and made his way to the guild building.

Already dispatched guards and the wreckage of the guild building were a testament to the attack.

Stepping across the blood seeping from under the main gate, he saw the beastkin locked in combat.

Several bodies lay on the ground.

“What in the world…?”

But the fallen beastkin, those protecting Ian, and those fighting against them were almost all Black Frog beastkin.

The beastkin who had raced ahead from the beastkin encampment were defending Ian, fighting alongside a group of Black Frog beastkin.

The Black Frog beastkin assassins, recoiling at the arrival of reinforcements, spat poison darts that melted the walls and used their incredible leaping ability to escape.

“Ian, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“And who are these people? Why were some of the same assassins protecting you?”

Ian recounted the events that had transpired in Sodom’s absence.

* * *

The Black Frog beastkin who had missed their chance with the Sodom Guild Master were growing desperate.

“Should we chase after him now?”

“It’s impossible. There are too many adventurers guarding him.”

“If we can’t catch the snail, we’ll have to settle for the earthworm.”

The Black Frog beastkin took the remaining employees of the adventurers’ guild hostage.

I was naturally among them.

‘The Sodom Guild is already suffering from a manpower shortage, after Gomorra, the Deputy Guild Master, expelled or eliminated employees loyal to the previous leadership. If any more employees die here, the guild won’t be able to operate properly, no matter how many adventurers they have.’

Someone had to protect them.

The employees of the Sodom Guild.

Nevertheless, the reasons to escape were clear.

I am the player, after all.

The protagonist of this world.

Even if they die, the player knows how to replace them, but if the player dies, they won’t know how to replace the player.

Crises and harms that would arise from a player’s absence? I could list a hundred easily, even over a thousand.

Even so, I did not run.

“I am Teresa’s eldest son, the clan leader of the Teresa Clan, who aided the Beastkin encampment. No one else is of value as a hostage but me, so take me and release the rest.”

“Hoh. Why should we do that?”

“Because that way, I won’t kill myself and instead will willingly remain captured by you, so you can use me in negotiations with my mother.”

There was only one reason.

If I were Teresa’s most cherished son, I would undoubtedly do this.

“Trading the most precious life to save the lives of those whose deaths wouldn’t matter. Noble.”

“Ignore him. There’s no reason to believe it’s true, and humans are natural liars. I can’t trust him.”

“There is information. Teresa has a son, and praise for his intelligence and character has spread to nearby cities through adventurers and merchants who have passed through Sodom Village.”

“…”

“Judging by that mind and character, there’s no need to suspect a substitute. He doesn’t have other children either.”

The Black Frog Beastkin readily released the staff, except for me.

“Little male. You do not fear us, nor do you loathe us.”

“Because there’s no reason to.”

“Bullshit. Humans hate without reason and harm Beastkin for sport.”

The Black Frog Beastkin who had gathered information about me showed interest.

On the other hand, the suspicious Black Frog Beastkin who appeared to be a co-leader displayed hostility.

There was an interesting difference between the two Beastkin.

The former was a female with a slender and lithe body, while the latter was a male with thighs and lower body trained to enhance his leaping power.

Now, I began to realize.

The favor women of this world held for me.

And the fact that I could use that emotion.

It was not an unfamiliar experience.

How many emotions had I twisted and manipulated by my will?

Now, I struggle to even count them all.

“I can prove it.”

“How?”

“What is it that humans hate most about the Frog Beastkin?”

“Why… it is our long tongues, and the mucus secreted to preserve our hunting tongues.”

I extended my hand.

A Frog Beastkin with a playful face, sticking out his long tongue.

People would look upon the saliva flowing along that crimson, soft, and elastic tongue with fear.

Because that saliva contains a paralytic agent.

Once touched, the body stiffens, and one can be wrapped by the tongue and sucked into its mouth.

To anyone who has fought in the war against the Beastkin, or heard stories of such people, the Frog Beastkin’s tongue and mucus are weapons of death.

But I know better.

The self-evident providence that not all frog-people are evil, just as not all people are.

*Chalkpak.*

“!!”

He hadn’t wanted the frog-person to be touched *this* much, and he nearly choked on his tongue, so tightly did he clutch at it.

“H-He caught it. A human caught a frog-person’s tongue.”

“He isn’t even frowning.”

“Truly, he doesn’t fear or loathe us.”

The female frog-people, shocked by the existence of a male human who didn’t reject their kind.

“Kill that unholy thing!”

“To dare touch a female’s tongue with such lewd hands!”

“Let’s kill him now!”

The male frog-people, enraged by the unexpected appearance of a rival of another species.

“No, we think it’s fine?”

“You are the ones who should not insult the human male.”

“If he’s not an enemy, we decide which male we will take.”

The black frog-people instantly split into male and female, voices rising in agitation, until one irate male black frog spat a mouthful of poison-laced saliva in my direction.

A female black frog swung a desk in the way with her tongue, and with a *chee-eek* sound, the desk’s plywood top fell off.

Before I could even utter a word, a civil war among the black frog-people had broken out.

“Rescue the surviving female black frog-people!”

This resulted in the new addition of assassination-specialized black frog-person females, all favorable to humans, to the village of Sodom.