Chapter 199
"It won't take long."
Wichasha, the chief of the Hupa Tribe who had kidnapped Maelyn, raised both arms above her head, holding a red cloth.
"...?"
She had tightly shut her eyes, but cautiously peeked through a slit. She thought he might strangle her with it or blindfold her—but instead, the cloth settled gently on her shoulders and draped down below her chest.
Turned out, it was just a red apron with a cartoon carrot on it.
"???"
Suddenly, a dining table descended in front of her, a large roasted turkey dish steaming with heat was set down, surrounded by deep-fried dishes and mushroom soup.
"I order you to release her."
At Wichasha's command, a burly man came from behind and untied the ropes around her arms, setting her hands free. The ropes around her waist and legs, however, remained.
Click!
Before she realized it, Dick—dazed from the neurotoxin—was seated in another chair, and food was also being served before him.
"Please enjoy your meal comfortably!"
The men bowed deeply.
The atmosphere shifted quickly.
The sound of flutes and drums—seemingly traditional instruments of the Hupa Tribe—filled the air like background music. Two shirtless men stood at her sides, fanning her with fans made of leaves.
Maelyn was so dumbfounded that she froze, then burst out in fury.
"What the hell is this supposed to be?!"
"We have only one condition."
Wichasha said.
"You must stay here for just one day."
"..."
"We won't lay another hand on you or threaten your safety. Our methods may be crude, but we will do our best to keep you comfortable during your stay."
Maelyn let out a scoffing laugh.
"This is seriously messed up! Whether you're feeding me or fanning me, this is clearly kidnapping. You think you can just sweep it under the rug because you're playing nice?"
"I know that."
Wichasha nodded, stepping closer. His wriggling muscles and two clearly defined... points made Maelyn grimace and turn her head in disgust.
"We kidnapped Student Keyzen. It's our responsibility to bear the consequences. But we've only made our demands known to you. As long as you don't attempt to escape, we promise we won't harm you."
Maelyn crossed her arms. Her attitude remained cynical and cold, but at least now there was room for conversation.
"Let's hear it then. Why are you keeping us here?"
Wichasha opened his palm slowly.
"I'll answer that question. But first, may I suggest you eat? The food is getting cold."
In the distance, the two muscular men in red aprons stirred ladles and, upon locking eyes with Maelyn, gave her a big thumbs-up.
"We worked really har—"
"Drop dead. Freaks."
Maelyn replied coldly. The two cooks drooped their heads in dejection.
Wichasha spoke with regret.
"Eura and Hake are soft-hearted."
"Like I care! And why the hell would I eat anything made by those nipple perverts? It could be poisoned!"
"If we had intended to poison you, we would have forced it down already. But we didn't."
"Say whatever you want, I'm not eating a sing—"
Grrrrrrrr.
At just the right moment, her stomach growled. Maelyn's face flushed red.
'Ughhhh, this is so embarrassing! Why now of all times?!'
Wichasha gave a knowing smile.
"You haven't eaten anything since morning, have you?"
"...Tch!"
Her face twisted with a mix of anger and shame.
"As I said, we're not the kind of trash who mess with food. If you don't eat it, the meal will go straight into the trash. The choice is yours."
"..."
Maelyn fell into deep thought.
Of course, there was no need to eat the food given by kidnappers.
But honestly, she was just being spiteful. Like the guy said, if they'd wanted to poison or drug her, they would've already done it.
Realistically, she had no choice. The best strategy was to play along, act obedient, then strike when they least expected it.
This was all a tactical decision. Absolutely not because she was hungry.
With that stream of consciousness concluded, Maelyn picked up a fork. She gently pressed into a piece of the large turkey dish in front of her. The fork sank softly into the tender meat, releasing a gush of juicy broth.
She picked off a piece with the fork, carefully caught it in her palm, and took a bite.
"!"
Her pupils widened.
'...Damn it, this is humiliating, but it's insanely good. Tastes exactly like that barbecue Professor Hongpeng made during the first semester.'
Her hand trembled as she held the fork, then without a word, she took another piece. Wichasha nodded.
"I'm glad it suits your taste."
"Ugh, shut up! But yeah, it's good!"
At her words, the two men in aprons high-fived each other with visible delight. Wichasha also smiled in satisfaction.
"Eura and Hake are weak to compliments."
"I don't care!!"
* * *
The day was growing darker.
Simon and Kamibarez had been tirelessly running through the streets, completely exhausted.
"Let's split up. It'll be faster that way."
At Simon's suggestion, Kamibarez nodded.
"Sounds good! But if either of us finds their location, how do we let each other know?"
"Hold on."
Simon opened a subspace and pulled out a leftover lantern set from yesterday. Two remained.
He had folded these many times before, so it didn't take long. He quickly folded two and handed one to Kamibarez.
"There's still time before the Thousand Lights Festival begins. Whoever finds them first will release their lantern. And also—"
Next, Simon pulled out Dick's music box from his coat.
It was the one they used to draw zombie attention in Deathland, which Dick had later modified into a decoy tool. Last night, while drinking, he'd proudly called it a hit product and gifted one to each of them.
"The one who finds them first will launch the lantern and attach the music box so it makes noise."
"Got it!"
With that, the two split up to search every corner of Langerstine and asked around.
'A group of men wearing robes passed by suspiciously, but strangely, there aren't many witnesses. They must be somewhere close to the clock tower dorms—isolated, low-traffic, and hidden.'
Simon began searching narrow, maze-like alleys.
'Wait, that old lady...?'
He entered a slum alley lined with shacks and saw an old woman whose eyes showed only the whites and whose face was grotesquely twisted on one side. It was the same woman who had mumbled something about the spirit of disease earlier with Kamibarez.
She was lying on the ground, mumbling quietly. Simon approached her.
"Um, excuse me..."
She continued to mutter strange words, then suddenly lifted her head.
"The rats have disappeared."
"...What?"
"The city's rats are all gone. So are the bugs, and the crows, all of them."
Simon crouched down.
"Why did they disappear?"
"They've answered the call of the Spirit of Disease."
The old woman, muttering under her breath, suddenly raised her voice with a shriek.
"The Spirit is enraged! Tonight, another person will die in this city!"
"..."
Another murder incident? Simon asked seriously.
"Is there a place where I could meet this Spirit of Disease?"
"The Spirit..."
Just as she was about to continue, the woman flinched in fright and shut her mouth.
Shhhhhh—
All over the Harlem alley, hordes of insects surged across the ground, darkening the floor as they swarmed in.
"It's here! It's come! The Spirit has arrived!"
The old woman shrieked and darted into her shack, slamming the door behind her.
Simon remained still in place. Soon, the swarm of bugs passed right by him.
'Ah.'
He had worried they might crawl up his body, but they expertly avoided him and scurried elsewhere. Simon followed them, keeping a slight distance.
'Where are they going?'
The insects crawled deeper into narrower and darker alleys.
Crash!
Startled, Simon turned his head.
Suddenly, the wall of a wooden house shattered, and a black wave of rats came pouring out, lifting Simon's body.
It was like a surge of water. The swarm carried Simon down the alley at unbelievable speed.
"Whoa-whoa!"
He landed on the ground with no impact. The rats scattered and disappeared as quickly as they came. Simon looked around.
The deepest part of the Harlem district. He was in an area filled with semi-basement buildings, standing before a tavern.
'Are they telling me to go in?'
Steeling himself, Simon opened the tavern door.
"Excuse m—ugh!"
The stench of alcohol assaulted his nose.
A few people, reeking of booze, lay sprawled out in disarray. Even the man who appeared to be the tavern owner had passed out, face flushed red.
Amidst all the collapsed figures, only one person sat upright in the center.
Gulp. Gulp.
A woman was downing liquor straight from a drum—an entire drum—with one hand, no less.
Her throat bobbed as the liquid flowed down. Her legs were spread wide, bare feet propped up on the table for all to see. She wasn't wearing shoes.
'Wh-Who is that?'
Simon thought he'd seen every kind of eccentric while attending Keyzen, but this person surpassed all of them.
Her hair was tangled in a bristly mess like a hedgehog, colored an ashy brown, and two animal-like ears poked up from between the strands.
She wore tattered rags that could barely be called clothing, just a heap of scrap cloth haphazardly wrapped around her body like bandages. Filth and stains clung to her skin and outfit.
Who was this person?
When was the last time she'd bathed?
She looked more beast than human, more like a child raised by wolves in a fairy tale than a person from civilization, a literal wild woman.
Yet, despite all that, she didn't have the unpleasant odor typical of the unwashed. Instead, a sharp, chemical stench pierced Simon's nose.
"You."
Thud!
After finally draining the entire drum, she set it down and gave a toothy grin. Her teeth were jagged, like a shark's—sharp and triangular.
"You're that Simon Follentia guy, right?"
She knew who he was. Simon, tense, responded.
"Who are you?"
"So rude. Do you always answer a question with a question?"
She casually reached out her hand. A crow flew in and dropped a bottle of liquor from the tavern. She pulled the cork out with her bare hand—no opener—and brought it straight to her lips.
Gulp. Gulp.
Another round of drinking began. After finishing the whole bottle with ease, she let out a loud "Kyaa-ha!" and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
'Come to think of it...'
Simon narrowed his eyes.
'She kind of looks familiar.'
"Anyway, you're a first-year at Keyzen, right?"
"Ah, yes! I am."
Resting her arm on the chair's armrest, she chuckled.
"Then you know Hongpeng, right? I'm her twin sister."
Simon's eyes widened dramatically.
No wonder she looked familiar!
Their vibe, clothing, speech, tone, even skin tone were completely different, but their faces resembled each other. Like a wild version of Hongpeng?
"Th-Then, why are you, Hongpeng's sister, here in this place...?"
"My name is Belya Tun Sokum Marlat."
She bared her shark teeth in a grin.
"No point hiding it now, right? I'm Keyzen's new professor of Toxicology!"