CIATB Chapter 92: The Witch and the Beast
Chapter 92: The Witch and the Beast
“What is the basis?”The first person to come to his senses was none other than Laius.
Arendt, who had downed the recovery potion in one gulp, raised his gloved hand.
“He knew what this artifact was. He even knew the exact name.”
“Umm….”
“If that’s true, it would explain to some extent why they chose to target Arendt.”
As Laius let out a complicated groan, Richt opened his mouth.
“At this time, we would have thought it was just a matter of revenge for the casino situation.”
“Actually, that’s what we were thinking.”
Perhaps their real purpose was to deal with Arendt and retrieve the artifact.
“I’ve done a lot of things up until now. I’ve even ruined their plans openly a few times.”
“Don’t talk about that as if it was other people’s business.”
Arthur snapped back fiercely at Arendt’s calm remark.
From the East Safe incident, to the magic stone mine, to stealing the ‘Unquenchable Heart’, to killing Vincent himself. Although it was said that the Imperial Knights were involved, most of it was done directly by Arendt.
It was a strange thing.
The man who was on the verge of death for betraying the Knights Templar was now being hunted by enemies for the same reason.
Laius’ face hardened.
“I guess we need to be on guard.”
“Still, I got my hands on something pretty good.”
“On something good? Are you talking about that werewolf?”
Arthur frowned as Arendt nodded and spoke nonchalantly.
“It’s a good thing we captured him alive… but do you think he’d open his mouth that easily? He’s a loyal dog who won’t shy away from any dirty work that woman tells him to do.”
“Well, you never know what will happen to people.”
The answer that came back was still ambiguous.
This time, Laius asked.
“Is there anything wrong?”
“A little? Well, time will tell. Either way, he’ll have to pay for the scarring on this precious face.”
“…”
There was a faint madness in Arendt’s sparkling golden eyes.
He was serious. He was definitely serious.
Laius didn’t even feel like asking what the catch was or what he would learn.
Indeed, no one has ever come out well after messing with Arendt, whether they were in league with the evil cult, a wealthy man with a lot of business in his hands, or someone with the power to shake up the palace.
Even the Crown Prince was always caught up in that bastard’s glib tongue and ended up holding his forehead in frustration.
“Haaah…”
Arthur and Richt both sighed deeply without saying anything. Laius also felt a stabbing pain in his stomach and put his hand on his forehead.
It was admirable that Arendt was still able to say such things despite having lost a lot of blood, having his magic power drained, and having a pale face.
“…Go and get some sleep first.”
Although Laius said that… the three of them wondered if that guy would really sleep soundly.
Warren opened his eyes, feeling a terrible chill.
The first thing that came into his blurry vision was the brazier right in front of him. It seemed to have been placed there to prevent the captured prisoner from freezing to death.
His tightly bound body did not move at all. It seemed as if they thought that ordinary human restraints would not be able to handle his strength, as his limbs were chained tightly to the chair.
“You’re lying down for half a day just because you were beaten by a mere apprentice knight. What a real sight.”
At that moment, a grumbling voice was heard right in front of him.
As Warren suddenly raised his head, his eyes met with the silver-haired knight sitting on a chair outside the bars.
The knight was also covered in bandages here and there, as if the aftereffects of the battle had not yet fully subsided. One of his severely injured arms was tightly bound so that he could not move.
Only then did reality slowly return to him.
He himself attempted to kill the young apprentice knight under Rebecca’s orders, and failed miserably.
“…Why didn’t you kill me?”
“I finally caught you, so there’s no way I’ll let you go that easily. We have something to talk about, Mr. Wolf.”
Arendt said coldly, leaning back in his chair.
“I came without telling the captain, so I don’t have much free time, so let’s keep it brief and not waste time.”
“…”
Warren, who had been keeping his mouth shut, soon burst into self-deprecating laughter.
“So it was a trap, after all. You provoked me into chasing you as you ran away, and lured me to where your comrade was waiting. That strange item… was it something that suppressed magical power?”
Warren clearly remembered the helplessness he felt when the light burst out and his transformation was undone, leaving him in the form of a mere beast.
“If you want to catch a wolf, you have to be prepared to that extent. It’s inevitable that you’ll have to give up one arm.”
Arendt burst into laughter.
Warren’s eyes, which were closer to a wolf’s than a human’s, stared at the apprentice knight without moving an inch.
“I admit that I lost, so kill me quickly. There’s nothing you can gain by keeping me alive. Torturing me won’t help.”
“That’s funny. You’ve been living a life where you were given plenty of meat to eat as you pleased as a watchdog, so you think it’s okay to act all noble now?”
Clank!
Warren’s body shook violently and the chains clashed against each other.
A fierce growling sound echoed through the dungeon, but Arendt did not move an inch.
“It doesn’t matter if you don’t open your mouth. Since you won’t be able to go back anyway, you’ll live here for a long time. You’ll be tied up and eating rotten meat given to you by others.”
“Shut your mouth!”
Clank.
The chains, barely able to withstand Warren’s strength, let out a dangerous screech.
If he had not been so weakened and bound in several layers of chains, he would have certainly broken through the bars and slit Arendt’s throat.
Arendt, who had been quietly observing Warren’s murderous eyes, snickered and laughed.
“Do you want to escape from the clutches of that woman named Rebecca?”
Warren’s movements stopped at the words that came out Arendt’s mouth.
“What?”
“Rebecca, there was no reaction when I cursed at her, but as soon as I said your name, you got provoked and attacked me, even throwing away your weapon.”
“…”
Warren blinked blankly, forgetting the situation. Arendt met the werewolf’s gaze for a moment and continued speaking slowly.
“You seemed more afraid of your name being known than of your master’s honor being tarnished.”
“…You’re really out of your mind.”
Warren, who had been opening and closing his mouth a few times, muttered blankly.
Even with the artifact and the bracelet, Arendt was clearly at a disadvantage until his fellow knight joined in.
In a situation where it wouldn’t be strange to lose one’s life at any time, provoking the enemy and testing their reaction was something that couldn’t be explained by just being calm.
“Since you recognized my artifact, it must have something to do with those evil cultists… you don’t seem to like your master who holds your leash, let alone the gods.”
Arendt tilted his head slightly and blurted out absentmindedly.
“Are you being threatened?”
Warren’s eyebrows twitched.
Arendt continued speaking leisurely, tilting his chair back and forth.
“You’ve been doing a good job of being a mutt in other people’s houses, but you’re giving up your life so easily, saying you’d rather be killed than caught by a human… You’re truly a loyal dog.”
The young man’s voice, full of laughter, echoed through the dungeon.
“Even if you want to die as a loyal dog, I have no intention of granting even that simple wish. I tend to have a long lasting impression.”
The golden eyes that had been wandering through the air for a moment glanced around and moved to stare at Warren again.
“If you ask me to kill you, I will make sure you breathe until the end and see your miserable end. That is what I will do.”
A face so expressionless that not even a shred of emotion was revealed turned towards Warren.
“That’s why this is your last chance. If you have a purpose, you shouldn’t be picky about the means and methods. That’s why I’m talking like this right now, in front of you.”
“…”
“I’m leaving. Think about my proposal carefully before the formal interrogation.”
After finishing his speech, Arendt quickly got up and limped out of the prison.
Kuung.
The sound of the heavy door closing echoed deafeningly.
Warren, left alone, blinked blankly.
The brazier crackled and radiated warmth, but the bone-chilling cold still lingered. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the Frosty Touch or the little bastard’s glib tongue.
“…I can’t die?”
A distant murmur dispersed into the air. Warren bit his lip as he realized a slight tremor was creeping into his voice.
He clearly said it was a suggestion, but it was definitely a threat, more vicious than the one Rebecca had given.
Up until now, he did whatever she commanded. He did not hesitate to do any dirty deed, and he didn’t care at all how much blood was on his hands.
For quite some time, he had done his best to pretend to love her. Even Rebecca had never doubted his loyalty…
‘I was caught by someone who I only fought once with?’
It was so absurd that he was speechless.
From the first time they met, Arendt mentioned his name, and Warren had no idea how much he knew.
“Purpose…”
To achieve that, he didn’t care about the means and methods… he definitely did that. He’s even lived without even giving up his pride as a werewolf.
But what did he look like now?
Woodduck.
The chained fists clenched.
Soon, the wolf’s long howl echoed through the darkness.
Before he could even close the door and take a few steps, he could hear the howling of an animal behind him.
“Did I provoke him too much?”
Judging from that reaction, it seems like he’s found the right provocation.
To be honest, it was a bit of a gamble, because until he met him face to face in the alley, Arendt had thought of him as nothing more than Rebecca’s loyal dog.
The description in the novel “The Blue Knight of the Holy Sword” was also like that.
Werewolf Warren acted as Rebecca intended until he was about to be executed by Laius, and in the end… even gave up his own life.
But poor acting shows up everywhere. In Arendt’s eyes, he looked more like an angry beast than someone’s loyal dog.
Past experience had already proven that the appearances of characters in the novel was not everything. If he could just bring out that side, the range of roles he could choose from on the stage in the future would be wider.
It may be inevitable to be rejected, but if it’s done well, it could be said to be an opportunity to obtain a sturdy cross-species meat shield.
It would be a shame to leave him to die like this.
Well, there were still many hurdles to overcome before that could happen.
“Hey, shit. This really hurts.”
Still, he’ll give him a slap in the face.
Since Arendt came all the way there and took the trouble to do this despite his whole body aching, he must gain something.
Arendt turned toward the dormitory without a second thought.