SML Ch 39

Chapter 39

“So, what you’re saying is… the captured guests escaped on their own before we even arrived?”

“The footprints are still fresh. Judging by that, they must’ve used the chaos created by Volant’s group luring away the Swines to slip out.”

A clever decision, no doubt. But the real question was—had they managed to escape safely? Reynald tried to hold onto hope, but at that moment, an ominous sound echoed from the distance.

“Squeee! Squeeeeek!”

It was the sound of several Swines screeching in a frenzy. That wasn’t all—there were shouts from unfamiliar voices and the unmistakable clash of weapons following close behind. At this point, it was obvious what was happening.

“They’re fighting!”

“That’s not good…! We have to regroup with them!”

“You’re going to fight too?”

“What are you talking about? Of course not—we have to stop the fight!”

No matter how much of the main force had been drawn away, fighting right in the middle of enemy territory was insane. If they’d found a weakness, they should’ve just run. Why on earth had they started a battle instead? What kind of knight came up with such a reckless idea? Appalled, Reynald immediately sprinted toward the sound of the battle.

He didn’t have to go far. Within minutes, he spotted a group of knights clashing with the Swines in the distance. The Swines didn’t seem to be proper combatants—wielding logging axes and hoes, tools for farmwork rather than war. The knights, for their part, seemed unarmed—at least at first glance. But on closer inspection, not all of them were fighting barehanded. Some had snatched weapons from the monsters and were wielding them in return.

Prince Arun!

A tall, slender youth with long black hair was fighting while swinging a Swine’s axe. Although it had clearly been crafted for monster use—with unfamiliar weight and balance—he handled it as if it were his own weapon, driving back his enemies with powerful strikes. The Swines, each standing a good several centimeters taller than him, were completely on the defensive, unable to land a hit.

Next to him, a smaller blond youth awkwardly held a flail. That was Arun’s younger brother, Serna. At first glance, one might’ve thought he was frozen in fear due to lack of combat training. But the troubled look on his face and the way he kept glancing around made it clear—he thought they shouldn’t be fighting.

If your older brother’s doing something reckless, at least try to stop him, youngest prince!

Not that Arun was the type to listen to Serna anyway. In fact, Reynald knew full well that it was usually Serna who got dragged into Arun’s schemes. But this time it was truly dangerous. The numbers were just too stacked against them!

We need to stop the fight and get them out of there, fast!

But the real problem was that this wasn’t a situation where he could simply jump in. If he wasn’t careful, the Swines might mistake Reynald’s group for reinforcements and call back all their fighters from the Ratmen frontlines.

It was unlikely the Ratmen truly wanted all-out war with the Swines. If the Swines sensed an opening, they’d flee instantly. But if they lost their enemies and all came flooding back here, Reynald’s group would be surrounded—and then they’d be done for.

“Milord, we have to stop this!”

That was when Alex shook Reynald’s shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. Reynald saw Arun raising an axe toward a young Swine that had accidentally wandered into the fight. Arun must have decided to take down the easiest target first. But the young Swine, unaware of what was going on, just stared at him with wide eyes.

This was truly dangerous. If he so much as touched one of their children, the Swines would go into a frenzy—it was practically guaranteed. Without a second of hesitation, Reynald burst out of the bushes and rushed toward Arun.

“Do not touch the young one, Your Highness!”

He grabbed Arun’s wrist—the one holding the axe—and forcefully twisted it away. Startled, Arun lost his balance as Reynald swept his leg and sent him tumbling to the ground without even knowing what had happened.

“Help me stop them! If they keep fighting, we’re all doomed!”

Reynald shouted at the top of his lungs, and the other youths who had come with him immediately charged toward the elite knights. The knights, not understanding the situation, resisted and tried to shake them off. But then Serna waved his hand at them.

“Listen to Sir Reynald! This is no time for humans to be fighting each other!”

The knights, surprised by the youngest prince’s command, hesitated. Taking advantage of that moment, the youths managed to drag the knights back behind Reynald.

The Swines, clearly confused, looked back and forth at one another, staying on alert. The young Swine who’d almost been struck by Arun nervously glanced around, then crept toward one of the adult Swines and clung to its leg. From the way the adult shouted and gave the little one a swat on the head, they were definitely going to get scolded later.

Doing his best to meet the Swines’ eyes, Reynald whispered quietly to the young man pinned beneath him.

“If you target a child in enemy territory, the entire settlement may erupt in fury and bring unnecessary danger.”

“Sir Reynald? How did you get here…?”

“I believe I’ve drilled this into you before, haven’t I? Did you forget, Prince Arun?”

“…Caught off guard by the situation, I panicked and forgot my teacher’s wise lessons. I truly apologize for the worry, Sir Reynald.”

If he couldn’t even manage a proper apology, Reynald might’ve been more annoyed. But with that, he sighed and released Arun, then turned to face the Swines.

They seemed to understand that Reynald and Arun didn’t share the same intent, but that didn’t mean their hostility toward humans had lessened. After a moment of thought, Reynald cautiously raised both hands. Showing empty hands without weapons was a universal gesture of peace, regardless of species. Though still suspicious, the Swines watched him closely. And then…

It was a mistake. I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.

Reynald began using the body language of the Swines—a non-verbal communication system he had learned while subjugating another region in the past. Admittedly, dialects differed by region, so there was a high chance this version wouldn’t work here. But they were still of the same species, so there was hope it might be understood.

“……”

I don’t want to fight. I won’t come back. I’ll be careful.

As Reynald continued repeating these kinds of gestures, the Swines exchanged glances and muttered to each other in low, snorting voices. It seemed they were discussing what to do. That was a good sign.

Even if it’s a good sign, it only means we might live. There’s still a high chance we’ll get captured too…

At that moment, Reynald noticed one of the Swines quietly slipping away and heading into a nearby cave. What was that cave? It looked vaguely like the entrance to a mine… Reynald watched it with curiosity, but couldn’t continue for long—Serna had come up beside him and poked his side.

“It’s been a while, Sir Reynald. Did you sneak in here just to rescue us?”

“That’s correct. I feel guilty that Your Highnesses ended up in unnecessary danger because of me.”

“It’s not your fault, it was our own poor judgment. But by the way… do you know these pigs that live here? Can you actually talk to them?”

“To be honest, this is my first time meeting them. I’m not even certain we’re truly communicating. They might just be confused by my strange gestures and trying to guess what I mean.”

“That could be it. The Swines here seem weirdly intelligent, and their society’s suspiciously advanced… What even is this place?”

“I’ve been wondering the same thing ever since I arrived in this territory, Your Highness. The world is truly a vast place.”

Reynald replied half-jokingly and gave a small shrug. Alex, who’d been listening nearby, turned pale at the word “prince” and opened and closed his mouth in stunned silence. They had been deliberately avoiding the title to prevent misunderstandings or tension, but it seemed they’d have to explain everything once they got back.

As the tense standoff dragged on, the Swine that had gone into the cave returned and quickly whispered something to its companions. The Swines exchanged glances and muttered among themselves, before one of them stepped forward and made a threatening gesture at Reynald.

“That monster…!”

“Calm down. That’s not an attack gesture.”

One of the knights started to rise in alarm, but Reynald immediately stopped him. That movement was used to drive off unwelcome intruders. Translated into human terms, it meant: Leave now, or we’ll attack.

“It seems we can leave. Start walking backwards—slowly. Watch your footing so you don’t trip.”

Whispering to the others, Reynald carefully stepped backward. The Swines didn’t pursue, only glared at them—silent but deadly serious. As if to say, Don’t even think about coming back.

“If we try to retrieve the supplies, they’ll get angry, won’t they, Sir Reynald? Our food, magical tools, clothes, even our underwear are all piled up near our carriage…”

“I suggest you give up on the underwear, Prince Serna. We should consider ourselves lucky to have escaped with our lives.”

The other youths snickered quietly, though Serna looked puzzled, not knowing why. Reynald led them away from the Swine forest as quickly as possible. Avoiding the human traps still hanging near the forest entrance, they emerged into a vast open plain under the moon and stars.

What a wild ordeal just to welcome a few guests.

Finally able to breathe, Reynald let out a long sigh as he gazed up at the night sky.

Footnotes:

• Swines’ body language: Swines in this world seem to use a form of gestural communication akin to sign language. Reynald learned a version of this while conquering a different Swine territory. It’s not certain if this dialect matches, but some elements are understood across regions—like how a wave of both hands can universally mean “I’m unarmed.” 
• Swine social structure: This chapter hints that the Swines aren’t mindless monsters, but rather a highly organized, intelligent species with advanced tools and social hierarchy. This makes the interaction less about brute force and more about diplomacy and cultural awareness. 
• “Knight’s underwear” incident (Chapter 38 context): In the previous chapter, Swine children were seen wearing human underwear as hats, likely having taken them from the captured group’s supplies. This adds humor to Reynald’s dry response here.