Episode 14: The One Who Hides Their Fangs

The next day, we joined forces with the Arving family’s army and set out once more. The Arving family’s total troop count was 200. They could have mobilized far more soldiers under normal circumstances, but many were injured in the battles against the beastmen, so this was their current limit.

Combined with my own forces, our army of roughly 500 marched along the highway toward the beastmen’s settlement. Along the way, I turned my attention to the villages scattered nearby.

What caught my eye most was the villagers’ expressions. Fatigue and despair were etched into their faces. They bore the same look as the people of the Markt region under Gessler’s rule—worn down by endless exploitation, stripped of hope for the future.

“What’s on your mind, Siegfried-dono?”

Patrick, clad in ostentatiously luxurious armor studded with gems, rode up beside me and asked.

I responded with my signature scheming villain smile.

“I was looking at the villagers’ faces.”

“Oh? The villagers?”

Patrick tilted his head, as if to say I was doing something peculiar.

“Patrick-dono, don’t you feel anything when you look at these villagers?”

“Feel something? Well… I’m always thinking they should work harder. Honestly, these lowly peasants slack off the moment you take your eyes off them.”

Patrick cast a scornful glance at the farmers. I eyed him sidelong and muttered under my breath.

“…What a foolish lord.”

“Hm? Did you say something, Siegfried-dono?”

“No…”

Explaining would be pointless; Patrick could never understand the hearts of these farmers. Of course, it’s not as if I feel sympathy for them either. I am evil—whether it’s peasants or nobles, I have no intention of showing mercy. But precisely because I’m evil, I know one thing.

People work hard only when they have hope… when they have desires. A lord who only exploits them can demand hard work all they want, but the farmers will never truly obey.

 

◇

 

After another day and a half of marching, we reached the region where the beastmen lived. It was a rugged valley with exposed rock faces. The sight reminded me of the Grand Canyon I’d seen in videos in my previous life.

“Their settlement lies ahead along this path.”

Patrick pointed to a road that wound between towering cliffs. The path snaked its way deeper into the valley.

“I see. But this is quite a narrow road. If we’re ambushed during the march, we’ll be at a severe disadvantage.”

A narrow path forces the formation to stretch out, making it extremely vulnerable to attacks from the sides.

“Indeed. My Arving family struggled with that very issue. But fear not, there are two reasons we’ll be fine. First, the beastmen are exhausted from their previous battle with my forces. Second, my Arving army will advance via a different route. Look… over there.”

Patrick pointed to a cliff some distance away. There, too, was another path—not wide, but leading deep into the valley.

“That path also leads to the beastmen’s settlement. My Arving forces will approach from that route. If your army is ambushed, we’ll circle around from the other path and strike the enemy from behind. Conversely, if we’re targeted, you can attack the beastmen from their rear.”

A deep, booming voice took over to elaborate. It belonged to Ryudre, the commander of the Arving family’s knight order.

“The beastmen are worn out. They don’t have the strength to launch ambushes on both routes. And if they don’t ambush us, we can simply crush them head-on. It’s a flawless strategy, isn’t it, Lord Patrick?”

Patrick and Ryudre exchanged a glance. My villainous instincts keenly picked up the scent of a conspiracy lurking beneath their words.

But I chose to ignore it, responding with my usual scheming villain smile.

“I see. It’s a sound strategy.”

Indeed, it wasn’t a bad plan. Most strategies seem good before they’re put into action, after all.

Whether it would actually work in practice was another matter entirely.

Oblivious to my inner thoughts, Patrick smiled with satisfaction.

“Then let’s split up and advance separately. If either of us is ambushed, we’ll sound the horn as a signal. Agreed?”

“Yes. I’ll see you again soon.”

 

◇

 

I parted ways with Patrick and led the Kreving family’s army into the valley. Ahead lay a narrow path flanked by reddish-brown cliffs. From the distance, the faint howl of a beast echoed through the air.

“Lord Siegfried, we’re now in enemy territory. Please fall back to the safety of the formation’s center.”

Beatrice, following close behind, offered her advice.

“Your reasoning is sound, Beatrice. If I, the commander, were to fall, our army would collapse. It’s only natural to want to prevent that. But there’s no need for such concern with me.”

“…Do you have some sort of plan?”

“Something like that.”

Maintaining our formation, we continued the march. The sun, already low, sank further, and the shadows between the valley’s cliffs grew steadily darker. As we reached a spot where the cliffs on either side were riddled with cracks, I muttered to myself.

“…This should be the place.”

I glanced back and issued a command.

“All forces, halt!”

“Yes, sir! All forces, halt!”

Beatrice repeated my order, and the soldiers immediately stopped in their tracks.

Leaving the halted troops behind, I urged my horse forward.

“Lord Siegfried!? That’s too dangerous!”

Beatrice hurriedly tried to stop me. I spoke calmly, reassuring her.

“It’s fine, Beatrice.”

And then, as I advanced further—

A figure burst out from a narrow crack in the cliff, barely wide enough to conceal a single person. The shadow charged toward me with beast-like speed, leaping at me as I sat atop my horse. For a brief moment, we grappled on the horse before landing on the ground. And then—

“You’ve got some guts, wandering out here all alone. Judging by that crested armor… you’re a noble, aren’t you?”

The figure whispered in my ear. It was unmistakably a beastman—a woman with gray, wolf-like ears and a tail, her body lithe and functional, reminiscent of a predator. She held a sharp dagger, its tip pressed against my throat.

“Lord Siegfried…!”

Evan and Beatrice swiftly shifted into combat stances.

“Hold it right there. Move, and this noble’s life is over.”

The beastwoman pressed the dagger firmly against my throat. Feeling the cold steel against my skin, I let a smile slip.

“Heh… a hostage, huh?”

“What? Gonna call me a coward or something, noble?”

“No, I’m thrilled. A hostage situation is one of those moments where evil truly shines. It creates tension for those watching, and the despicable act of taking a hostage stirs anger in most people. This is a villain’s time to shine.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

The beastwoman’s voice dripped with suspicion. I shifted my gaze to meet hers and spoke in a tone like a teacher addressing a student.

“But taking a hostage has a major weakness. If you’re a villain… you should know what it is.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

In the next instant, I leaned my neck closer to the tip of her dagger. Then, I pressed my throat against the blade. The steel sank into my flesh, piercing my neck.

“What the hell are you doing!?”

The beastwoman hurriedly pulled the dagger back. In that moment, a gap opened. Seizing the fleeting opportunity, I swiftly drew the sword at my waist.

With a sharp sound cutting through the air, my blade closed in on the beastwoman… and stopped precisely at her throat.

“The tables have turned.”

“Tch…!”

Blood dripped from my neck, falling to the ground. But the wound wasn’t fatal. The beastwoman had pulled her dagger back before it could reach my carotid artery.

“A hostage is only valuable if they’re alive. In other words, if the hostage tries to die, the one holding them has no choice but to save their life. Quite the ironic twist, isn’t it?”

Once you’ve taken a hostage, it’s natural to want to ‘make effective use of them.’ So when the hostage tries to die, you reflexively move to stop them. And in that moment, a gap appears.

Of course, a top-tier villain would never let such an opening occur… but this opponent clearly wasn’t a master villain.

“…Kill me.”

The beastwoman glared at me with gray eyes as cold as a winter sky.

“I’m not going to be your hostage. I’d rather you cut my head off.”

She tilted her chin up, as if daring me to strike. Her body trembled slightly with fear, but her resolve told me she meant every word.

I spoke calmly, my tone measured.

“I did say that a hostage is a villain’s moment to shine. But I have no intention of taking you as one. Instead, let’s talk.”

“Talk…?”

“I went out of my way to lure you out here for that very reason. And what we’re about to discuss should prove beneficial for your people as well.”

The beastwoman’s eyes flickered with a hint of uncertainty.

And so… let the curtain rise on this villainous negotiation.