Chapter 136: Great Escape (4)

With a roar, the tent was torn and flew away. It seemed that for Drak-Sai, that tent was as ridiculous a structure as a child kicking a ball. The tent, swept up in the gale, fluttered away into the sky as if announcing the end of the Beastman Valley, and beside it, the people imprisoned were escaping.

I tried to run forward without paying attention to them. But after only a few steps, I ran into the beastmen rushing to protect Baara.

“Incubus? What in the world is going on right now?”

While training with the Bison Beastman, I had also formed friendships with the beastmen. They were asking me about the situation with confused expressions. Since I, the ringleader, had never informed anyone, and the Bison Beastman whom Baara had ordered to resolve the incident was dead, they couldn’t grasp the situation.

“Incubus, what the hell is going on right now!”

I met their wavering gazes. Although their judgment was a bit lacking, each and every one of them was an excellent combat operative.

In contrast, Drak-Sai was just one person. I couldn’t factor in subordinates that ‘might exist’. Even if they did exist, could Drak-Sai hold out until his subordinates arrived? If these guys all jumped into the fight between Drak-Sai and Baara, wouldn’t the situation end before we could escape?

I wasn’t interested in which of Drak-Sai or Baara would win. What was important was that the fight continued until I could escape. It wouldn’t be good for me if these powerful beastmen interfered in the battle and decided the outcome.

I pointed at the escaping humans and shouted.

“The humans are escaping!”

“Wh-what? Th-this is bad!”

Hearing the shout, the beastmen belatedly checked the smashed cages. Amidst the murmuring voices, I patted the shoulders of the higher-ranking beastmen and said,

“Lord Baara said he would handle that demon himself, so you are ordered to catch the escaped prisoners. Hurry up!”

“R-really? Understood! I’ll go right now!”

The beastmen listened to my words and started running towards the forest. It was a bit disappointing that they were heading to the forest, but the direction I needed to escape was the opposite. If I ran quickly from now on, I wouldn’t run into them.

“Baara! Do you remember the name of my brother you killed!”

Drak-Sai was venting his anger at Baara. Seeing his momentum, it didn’t seem like he would get beaten by Baara and surrender, which put me at ease. After confirming that even the last remaining combat beastman was running towards the forest, I dashed towards the marketplace where Alice and Lorena were waiting.

“Hey! You there, human! Why are you touching the sled! This is an emergency! Hide quickly!”

It wasn’t necessary for Evan to tell me when it was time to escape. The roar coming from Baara’s tent area and the chilling killing intent told me I had to get out of here immediately. Alice and Lorena, without needing to be told, ran towards the sled they had their eyes on. Lorena hid a knife inside the sled and covered it with a blanket.

A beastman blocked the front of the sled and said,

“Humans! Hide quickly! They say a huge demon has appeared somewhere! You are the Incubus’s family, so it would be troublesome if you died!”

Alice crawled into the sled’s blanket and shouted.

“We like it here!”

“Th-that’s right!”

A beat later, Lorena chimed in, and the two huddled inside the sled.

The beastman who tried to stop them hesitated for a moment at Alice and Lorena’s absurd behavior, then clicked his tongue and said,

“Do as you please! I tried to warn you!”

The beastman said that and disappeared into a cave. Alice and Lorena, hidden inside the sled, watched the bustling beastmen. There were beastman families hiding inside the marketplace buildings, and others hiding in caves. Each was moving to the place they thought was safest.

There was no one at the entrance to the valley where the guards normally patrolled. Everyone was either huddled deep inside caves or standing guard in front of their caves, claws bared. Alice looked at the road stretching towards the forest and was convinced.

We can escape this. If someone just pulled the sled, we could definitely escape.

And in the distance, Evan was running towards us. When Evan stopped in front of the marketplace and looked around, Alice and Lorena reached out from under the blanket to call him. Evan chuckled as he saw the two huddled like abandoned kittens inside the sled and said,

“What the heck? Why are you guys doing this?”

Alice poked her head out of the sled and asked Evan,

“Dad. More importantly, how are we going to escape now?”

“Where are the beastmen hiding? Caves are out because it’ll take too long for us to get out.”

“Dad. There’s a beastman family hiding in this shop building.”

Alice pointed a finger at the shop where jerky was hanging. It was run by a beastman who skinned and prepared hunted wild boars or deer brought by hunters. Evan remembered buying the jerky sold here several times; it was very tender and fragrant.

But that didn’t matter right now. No matter how delicious his jerky was, wasn’t he also a member of a murderous bandit group? Evan had a duty to escape this crazy murderous group, and he needed the beastman’s cooperation to do so.

Evan kicked the door open and shouted.

“Love and! Justice!”

The door panel shattered, and the beastman hiding inside screamed.

“Hwaaaaaak! Wh-what are you doing! Incubus! Why are you kicking down my door! If you want jerky, it’s outside! Take all the jerky outside!”

“Lorena! He says you can take the jerky from outside!”

“Got it!”

Lorena got out of the sled and started scooping up the jerky from the counter. The beastman stared at Lorena with a bewildered face, then turned his gaze back to me. Alice took out a small knife she had hidden in the sled and began to sneak around the back of the shop. I wondered why Alice was moving like that, but persuading this beastman was more important right now.

“Wh-what is this…!”

“Hey. We’re escaping from here starting now, you know? You need to pull the sled.”

I cut off the beastman and stated my demand. As soon as the beastman heard me, his face contorted, and he shouted,

“Tr-traitor! You planned this from the start, praising my jerky as delicious! I can’t believe it! They say incubi and succubi are treacherous races, and it’s true!”

“What the fuck are you talking about, you murderous thugs. Half of your prey is stuff you stole after humans hunted it.”

“Th-that’s different from this!”

He was right. My demand for him to pull the sled had little connection to this bastard robbing humans. But what did that matter? I didn’t need logic to persuade this guy. I didn’t answer him and punched him square on the nose.

“Uh, Oof! Wh-what are you doing!”

“Pull the damn sled, you bastard.”

“Do you think hitting me like this will break a beastman’s will!”

He glared at me and resisted. I let out a disbelieving laugh.

“So your will breaks easily when you rape and murder people, but not when an Incubus punches you, huh?”

His tone provoked my fighting spirit. I raised my fist again, and the beastman gritted his teeth, glaring at me. If he resisted, I’d just beat him up soundly and then implant a suggestion in his mind. It might take a bit longer than expected, but it wouldn’t change the fact that we would escape safely.

“Wait!”

And then Alice shouted. I, the beastman, and Lorena, who was stuffing jerky into the sled, all turned our heads to look at Alice. Clutched in Alice’s hand was a cute, fluffy-haired young beastman. Alice poked the young beastman’s cheek with her blade.

“Aah, Aaaak! My, my baby! Stop it! Stop it, you cruel human!”

Alice yelled.

“Pull the sled, quickly! Quietly! As fast as possible!”

Lorena’s eyes widened as she looked at Alice. Alice gave an awkward smile when her eyes met Lorena’s. The beastman convulsed every time Alice tapped the young beastman’s cheek with her blade.

“Ah, Alright! I’ll pull the sled, so please stop! Put the knife away!”

The beastman didn’t say another word and hurried towards the sled. I climbed onto the back of the sled and chewed on a piece of jerky. The jerky tasted exceptionally good right before escaping. Alice clung to me, holding the young beastman tightly, and said,

“Dad! I did good, right?”

“Yes. You did great. My daughter. You take after your dad.”

Lorena muttered as she sat at the very back of the sled.

“Where did ‘Love and Justice’ go?”

Alice and I exchanged glances and said,

“Right here!”

The sled carrying us moved forward, forward, far away. The bloody battle unfolding behind us had nothing to do with us. The guards watching the cave entrances looked at us with bewildered faces, but didn’t even think of stopping us.

Even the cold wind in the forest felt incredibly welcome right now. Alice and Lorena hugged each other tightly, looking at the trees with tearful, overjoyed faces.

Now,

We’ve escaped.