SML Ch 38

Chapter 38

7. A Rough Welcome for the Guests

It wasn’t easy to draw the attention of the entire Swine settlement with such a limited number of people. Even if the Swines were on high alert because of the princes and their escorting knights, it was unreasonable to think that all of them would come swarming out just because twenty humans were causing a commotion.

In order to scout out the Swine village, something significant enough to send out a considerable number of their fighting force had to occur. After much deliberation, the strategy that Reynald and the village youths came up with seemed effective—though it was admittedly risky.

“I wonder if this will work. Luring the Ratmen to attack the Swines, of all things.”

“To be honest, we’re unsure too… but it’s the only option we have right now.”

As the sun began to set, Reynald and a few youths hid behind a large rock near the Swine forest, observing the situation. They were planning a diversionary tactic—one group would provoke the Ratmen into clashing with the Swines, while the other would use the resulting chaos to sneak into the Swine village.

It was the best plan they could come up with under the circumstances. When your allies were few, even monsters had to be used to your advantage. The Ratmen surely wouldn’t be happy about it, but it was the most plausible way to enter the Swine village safely.

Since spring, the relationship between the Ratmen and the Swines hadn’t been great. After the Ratmen’s battle with Lycanthropes over the winter, they had swarmed into the Swine forest to gather wood for rebuilding their broken village, and had ended up mass-logging the area.

The Swines, who were still in the middle of raising their offspring, didn’t seem eager to go to full-scale war with the Ratmen yet, so they’d just expressed their displeasure and let it slide. But that didn’t mean they harbored any goodwill toward the Ratmen.

Since the grain theft incident, the Lycanthropes had grown particularly irritable, frequently destroying Ratmen homes. As a result, the Ratmen kept flocking to the forest out of desperation, and due to their now-frequent intrusions, the Swines had grown deeply hostile—not just toward humans, but toward the Ratmen too.

If they could properly exploit that hostility, it could serve to draw the Swines’ attention. That said, there was no denying the inherent danger.

“I just hope Volant’s group does their job well. I’m worried.”

“Exactly. He said he had a good way to lure the Ratmen, and I’m trusting that… but maybe we gave him too dangerous a task.”

Just as Reynald and Alex were whispering to one another, figures began to run toward them from the direction of the plains, backlit by the setting sun. The excited chittering cries of the Ratmen echoed as they rapidly approached.

“Honey! We’re getting honey! Once the game’s over, we get real honey!”

Even from a distance, the scent of fragrant honey and fruit seemed to fill the air. Volant and the youths were swinging cloth pouches filled with ‘bait’ above their heads, tied to ropes as they ran. The Ratmen, frenzied by the bait, were chasing after them in a mad dash.

The bait, prepared with great care by Heide and other skilled village cooks, seemed to be absurdly effective. Despite their intelligence, Ratmen were still monsters at their core, and when enticed with something they loved—like food—they were easy to manipulate, according to the plan’s explanation.

“I never knew Ratmen liked honey that much. Though I did hear they mixed in other ingredients that rats might enjoy too.”

“They do seem to have a fondness for sweet foods. I’ve seen them lurking near beehives in the Swine forest, only to get chased off by bees or the Swines. The Swines might sneak honey from their own land, but for the Ratmen, it must’ve been completely unattainable—no wonder they’re going crazy for it.”

Still, who would’ve thought hundreds of them would get lured by a bit of bait? Granted, some of them were probably following along because of crowd mentality or just for fun… The Ratmen, frantically chasing the scent of honey without knowing where they were going, hesitated only once the forest came into view—realizing too late that something was off.

But by then, it was too late. Swines on patrol around the forest had already spotted the incoming intruders and were rushing out en masse.

“Squeee!”

“Squeal! Screeek!”

Last night, humans had caused a ruckus, and now another wave of them was attacking at sunset—with hundreds of Ratmen in tow. The Swines, recognizing the situation as an emergency, began swinging torches and shouting at the top of their lungs. All across the forest, cries echoed in response—a clear sign that the entire Swine population was mobilizing.

“That’s enough—retreat!”

“Run! Quick, get out of here!”

Having accomplished their goal, the youths flung away the bait and fled at full speed. The remaining Ratmen, unable to grasp what was happening, stood around in confusion—until the Swines charged at them with weapons. That was when they snapped, growling and charging in return.

From the Ratmen’s perspective, they hadn’t done anything wrong—they hadn’t even entered the forest. So why were the Swines suddenly attacking them outside its borders?

So far, the plan was a success. Feeling grateful to Volant and the youths, Reynald immediately moved into action.

“Now’s our chance. Let’s go!”

Reynald and the youths carefully infiltrated the forest. With the patrolling Swines now all headed toward the Ratmen, they were fortunate enough to make it all the way to the village without being spotted.

“Stay alert. Even if there’s a disturbance outside, some Swines might still be here.”

Whispering cautiously, Reynald began to scout the village. The atmosphere was not unlike the Ratmen village they had visited for grain theft. Wooden buildings dominated the landscape, topped with straw roofs.

However, stone structures—nearly absent in the Ratmen village—were more frequent here, along with large furnaces and workbenches, and looms apparently used communally. Reynald surmised that this village was slightly more advanced than the Ratmen one. Not that such things mattered in this situation.

‘I just hope Arun and Serna are safe.’

Where could the Swines have placed twenty humans? Whether they were alive or dead, a group that large would be hard to hide.

Believing it wouldn’t take long to find them, Reynald quickly scanned the surroundings. The youths imitated him, exploring the village as well.

“Whoa, look over there. I’ve never seen a baby Swine before.”

“Keep your voice down! Wait a sec… are they wearing… human underwear on their heads?”

“That’s silk, right? Fancy people’s underwear really is something else.”

The youths whispered and chuckled amongst themselves until Reynald’s sharp glance silenced them. But he could tell what they were laughing about. The baby Swines wandering the village had what looked like knights’ undergarments on their heads.

Apparently, the little ones had mistaken them for some sort of hats. The sight of pig ears poking out from leg holes meant for humans was bizarre beyond words.

Reynald prayed that they hadn’t dared to steal the princes’ undergarments. Even he found it hard to suppress a chuckle, but now was not the time to lose focus.

“Let’s follow the direction those Swines came from. Their belongings might be there.”

Once the baby Swines had passed, Reynald and the youths followed the same path. At first, they saw nothing but more ordinary buildings, but soon Reynald noticed something.

It was a large carriage, showing signs of having been attacked. Beside it was a pile of luggage that clearly belonged to the knights. The baby Swines must’ve rummaged through this area and taken the underwear for themselves.

‘No armor or weapons. Maybe they stored them elsewhere?’

Reynald glanced around, wondering if they had already melted them down into tools. Still, it didn’t seem like the Swines had moved the humans’ belongings very far. The haphazard way the items were piled up suggested that the adult Swines didn’t care much about human possessions.

That meant the people themselves were probably nearby. Just as Reynald thought this, Alex motioned toward something.

“Milord!”

“Did you find something?”

“Over there—look at that iron cage.”

Where Alex pointed stood a large iron cage, big enough to hold at least twenty people. Reynald cautiously approached.

The inside was empty, and the door was secured with a crude padlock. The design was simple, but it looked sturdy and not easily breakable. Though the craftsmanship was rough, the cage was clearly strong enough to imprison humans.

At first glance, it looked abandoned. But Reynald frowned as he noticed something. Alex also tilted his head with a strange expression.

“Milord.”

“What is it?”

“Among the guests… was there someone particularly strong?”

“There is. One man strong enough to bend iron bars with his bare hands.”

Recalling Arun’s incredible displays of brute strength, Reynald understood the situation. It seemed one of the princes was definitely safe. Unfortunately, it also meant that Reynald’s group had arrived just a little too late.