Beast in the Woods, Deep in the Night - Chapter 31.1

Chapter 31.1

“I apologize, Mr. Polhensio. Judging from the loss of contact, it seems that the cabin where the chimera research was being conducted has been completely taken over by the Black Fang bastards.”

“…”

After hearing the report of a low-ranking guild member, Polhensio, the master of the Blue Hammer Guild, gritted his teeth. Things were going very differently than he had expected.

“Didn’t you say they would use boats to ambush our island?”

When he heard the report a few days ago, the operation of the Black Fang Guild was as clear as day.

They secretly bought several boats with money and apparently intended to use them for their operation, not knowing they belonged to the Blue Hammer Guild.

But seeing that the winds and waves were rough today and the boats weren’t launched, Polhensio thought they had abandoned the operation.

It would have been more interesting if the Black Fangs had fearlessly launched their boats on waves high enough to swallow anything, but since it was also unusual for them to abandon an operation, it was satisfying in its own way.

‘That’s definitely what I thought…’

But then, an urgent letter was sent via carrier pigeon from the cabin where the chimera research was secretly conducted. It said that someone seemed to be spying on them from nearby.

How else could the guys who were planning to raid the island where the hideout was located by boat know that there was a chimera hidden in the mountains?

Polhensio dispatched the guild’s elite at the unexpected news.

Little did he know that at that moment, the Black Fang guys hiding near the docks would jump out as if they had been waiting and kidnap the Blue Hammer elites and their ship.

In the end, the Black Fang Guild invaded the island using the Blue Hammer’s ship and the elites they held hostage, and as a result, Polhensio fled to a guild-owned mansion quite far from the docks.

The fact that the master of a guild had abandoned his attacked hideout and fled to another place meant that the lordship of the territory had fallen.

He crumpled his grim face and struck the table with his fists, having been robbed of everything by the Black Fangs in an instant. Even kicking the table didn’t diminish his anger.

“Those chimera bastards… aren’t human, after all.”

He knew that there were many chimeras with monstrous skills in the Black Fang Guild.

The guild master, Isaac, was one of them. He was a man who had awakened the instincts of the beast he was born with to the limit. It only took a couple of hours to capture his guild’s hideout and free the merchant ships they had captured, so all was said and done.

Today, however, it was the ability of a chimera other than him that was more noticeable.

“Who the hell was it that attacked the cabin where the chimera research was done?”

“I apologize. I haven’t been able to get any information yet because they are occupying the cabin. It seems that all the researchers inside failed to escape.”

“…”

While buying young chimeras through illegal means to strengthen the guild’s power, Polhensio had also put considerable effort into the laboratory. He had installed various security measures to ensure that it could withstand a few days in case someone tried to break in, so he couldn’t believe how easily it was breached.

‘I think he finished the job faster than Isaac… Is that even possible, even if it’s a chimera?’

Wasn’t he just like a beast with a murderous desire, rather than a human being? It was even more disturbing because it seemed to be a skilled person who would not normally be mobilized for the operations of the Black Fang Guild.

It seemed necessary to figure out who the chimera was who had raided the cabin in order to recover the guild hideout that had been seized.

“Send someone to gather information on the Black Fang Guild. Don’t forget to find out if they have recruited anyone to the guild recently or what kind of information they’re gathering. Report whatever useful information to me.”

“Understood, Master.”

Polhensio tapped the desk with cold eyes.

As the head of the Blue Hammer Guild, he was determined to exact revenge on whoever ruined his chimera research.

***

“Thank you, Melkin. Thanks to you, I was able to take a look around the place where the children read.”

Christine smiled and thanked him. She had followed the friendly Melkin to see the library on the west side of the guild’s hideout.

She took helping Melkin organize the books as a pretext, but her real purpose was to get information about her curse. Specifically, she wanted to find out how the ‘chimera’s tears’ worked to ease her and her mother’s pain.

‘But there seems to be no information other than the fact that the chimera’s bodily fluids harden as a jewel and their power is contained in it.’

This was information she also knew.

There was only one new piece of information she had learned in the Black Fang Guild’s hideout; the reason her curse symptoms subsided just by coming into contact with Edgar was because he was Richard’s eldest son.

‘I’m sure my curse has something to do with Richard. What in the world could be the cause?’

Even though she had been rummaging through quite a few books while Melkin was cleaning other areas, it was useless. They all contained only facts she already knew.

She couldn’t even ask Edgar directly because she was slowly gathering the jewels containing the power of the chimeras.

Feeling regretful, Christine decided to wait for her next opportunity.

Just as she was about to return to her residence for dinner, a group of young chimeras found her and greeted her with bright faces.

“Hello, Miss Christine.”