〈 Episode 323 〉 315 Episode – The Enemy of My Enemy is Still My Enemy.
*
‘Impressive.’
The Lizard Beastman thought to himself while watching Kim Shinwoo.
Honestly, I never thought he would do this well.
Anyone who knows Kim Shinwoo would feel the same way.
He was better known for tearing others down than having a casual conversation.
When provoked, he’d hurl around fists and feet like it was a hobby.
‘How does he keep his cool against that trash?’
Of course, not long ago, he couldn’t hold back and spouted some expletives.
Yet, he managed to smooth over the situation with god-like acting and continued the conversation naturally.
‘Even I would find that quite difficult.’
Especially, the smile Kim Shinwoo wore wasn’t something a regular person would flash.
A very benevolent and kind smile that seemed learned during break.
If a stranger had seen him, they might have mistaken him for a priest.
“By the way, managing this mansion must require a ton of help.”
“You’re right! We need more hands! Someone to bring in animals and someone to feed them should be added too!”
Moreover, there was one more surprising point.
“Usually, don’t the hunters who were here first take care of that?”
“Exactly! I hired 40 people, but it still feels insufficient!”
Kim Shinwoo was subtly extracting information bit by bit.
“In reality, aren’t there less than 20 working? Or maybe they inflated the number?”
“The numbers are accurate, even if the work isn’t. I’ve met all the actual staff.”
“I see. It must be tough for you.”
“Only Shinwoo-kun understands me.”
Of course, the Chief’s wife’s lack of intelligence contributed to this.
Even so, the way he skillfully dug for information was remarkable and fresh.
‘I thought he’d just start by punching.’
I assumed he’d gather information through torture.
But he was presenting an entirely different picture.
While feeling impressed, he secretly let out a sigh at what he had inadvertently uncovered.
‘Honestly, I never expected to meet with the students…’
He had expected the Chief to suspect him; after all, he had started taking back important tasks handed to him recently.
However, this was the first time someone had acted so independently while excluding him entirely.
It wasn’t a good sign.
In fact, it was quite a major red flag.
‘It means I don’t have much time…’
As impatience gnawed at him, he saw Kim Shinwoo continuing to extract more information.
“That flower pot looks way too luxurious—did someone close to the Chief gift it to you?”
“I bought this at Bohemian! That jerk doesn’t have anyone close enough to give him gifts like that!”
“I see. The Chief’s wife has quite the discerning eye.”
This time, it was a question tossed out to figure out if there was close cooperation with the Chief.
Through that, he hoped to gather at least a little information about variables outside the Chief.
It was a continuous stream of moments that left him in awe.
“Oh! Speaking of Bohemian, I just remembered something!”
“What is it?”
“I once put a hamster in there while letting a meerkat scratch inside with its front paws. It was pretty thrilling!”
“…….Huh?”
Of course, in between there.
“I named it ‘Bohaemian’!”
“F*ck!!!!!!!”
Though he couldn’t hold back the expletives at the nonsense spewed by the Chief’s wife.
“Is it that you don’t like it?”
“I was so surprised by your creativity. It’s truly remarkable.”
“Oh ho ho. Thanks for the compliment.”
Still, he somehow managed to smooth things over.
“But this is quite limiting, so I plan to do it only occasionally.”
“It’s best if you don’t do it at all.”
At this point, Kim Shinwoo seemed suspiciously saint-like.
If he were a normal person, he would have committed murder hundreds of times by now.
‘Killing a pig is indeed fitting terminology.’
If Kim Shinwoo’s reaction pleased the Chief’s wife, she continued on.
Even when Kim Shinwoo felt a chill and tried to change the subject quickly.
“In fact, I didn’t even push it hard; I only put a little effort in.”
“You don’t have to say that. By the way, that one—”
The Chief’s wife was already deep into her own world, only spouting off words.
She cut off anything Kim Shinwoo had to say in an instant.
“Our hamster, Golden, turned into a little red guy.”
*
Thanks to that, Kim Shinwoo was grinding his teeth, making the whole reception room ring.
This time it seemed too unbearable, forcing him to hold back words.
After a brief silence, Kim Shinwoo quietly muttered with a gloomy face.
“……Hamster…”
“It’s too sad. Sob sob.”
The Chief’s wife took Kim Shinwoo’s reaction as empathy for her, even beginning to shed tears.
It was a succession of moments that made you want to pull your hair out the more you saw it.
‘How am I still sane after witnessing this?’
As the Lizard Beastman chuckled at the self-sarcasm in that moment, someone cautiously entered the reception room.
It was none other than.
“I, I brought what you asked for…”
“Why did it take you so long!!!”
“Yikes! S-sorry!!!”
A little boy resembling a Lizard Beastman.
Though Kim Shinwoo found him unfamiliar, the Lizard Beastman was well-acquainted.
Because that boy was the Lizard Beastman’s one and only, most precious, and beloved younger sibling.
At the same time, the only family he had left in the world.
‘I’m sorry I can’t be of help… Just bear with it a little longer.’
Meanwhile, the Chief’s wife was already hurling harsh words at the Lizard Beastman’s younger sibling.
Just like she always did without change.
“Who asked for a butter cake? You dumb idiot!!!”
“I-I’m sorry! Usually, you request butter cake…”
Originally, hostages should never be treated carelessly.
Because the moment their value is dismissed, a fierce backlash could sweep everything away.
However, the Lizard Beastman lacked the strength to create such a backlash himself.
It was truly unfortunate but incredibly cruel.
‘If I had even a little strength…’
Moreover, the one who had taken his sibling hostage was less than human.
Thus, they treated the hostage more viciously than anything else.
Even while squeezing the Lizard Beastman’s abilities to the maximum.
Instead of properly caring for the hostage, they abused him at every moment just to keep him alive.
‘If he were human, he would’ve died long ago.’
It was the unjust violence of those with overwhelming power against the weak.
And now.
Once again, that violence was beginning to appear.
“No carrot cake? I can’t do Uma-pyo with this!!!”
“But, but you never said carrot cake…”
“Shut up!!!!!!”
The sibling’s words were entirely accurate.
There was no specification of what cake to bring.
It would be only natural to bring the kind of cake that was preferred.
Of course, the Chief’s wife couldn’t accept even that obvious fact.
“You useless reptile piece of trash!!!!!!”
“Yikes!!!”
Soon after, the Chief’s wife grabbed a nearby pot and swung it fiercely toward the sibling.
“St-stop it!!!”
No matter how sturdy a being was, the sibling was still too young.
If hit with something like that, he’d definitely suffer severe injuries.
He had been far too complacent.
Though he’d forgotten for a moment due to Kim Shinwoo, the place was extremely dangerous.
In other words, the family hostage was trapped here, threatening lives at any moment.
She was a madwoman who slapped hostages regularly too.
It had to be borne in mind that it could happen again.
“Please!!!”
The Lizard Beastman rushed in desperately.
But the distance was far too great to stop that wildly swinging arm.
And there was no way to take the hit for him as well, of course.
‘If only I could regress at least!’
The ability of regression, which had suddenly vanished recently.
It hadn’t been much of a problem since he didn’t use it often.
But at this moment, it felt incredibly frustrating.
If he had foreseen this situation, the outcome would definitely have been different.
At the very least, he could’ve taken the hit for his sibling.
‘Why do I have to keep going through this!!! What did I do wrong!!!’
However, regardless of the Lizard Beastman’s worries.
In an instant, the small flowerpot that had turned into a weapon never reached the sibling.
*
“What?”
“Are you out of your mind?”
Kim Shinwoo had roughly grabbed the Chief’s wife’s arm.
Seeing that, the Lizard Beastman let out a deep sigh of relief.
He was so tense he mistakenly thought he’d shed his skin two or three times.
‘That’s a relief… Really a relief.’
Meanwhile, Kim Shinwoo glared at the Chief’s wife with a face full of anger.
He looked ready to twist her arm in the opposite direction any second.
“Madam, what are you doing right now?”
Just a moment ago, Kim Shinwoo had been smiling softly, but now he was fuming.
That was a sight one wouldn’t normally see.
As the Chief’s wife turned her frustrated anger towards Kim Shinwoo,
“It’s education! Are you saying my teaching method is wrong?”
“Of course it’s wrong!”
Looking at that scene, the Lizard Beastman felt a mix of relief and gratitude.
Relief that his sibling wasn’t hurt.
And gratitude towards Kim Shinwoo, who stood up to that trash.
‘He is truly the only student I can trust.’
It was indeed the right choice to ask for help from the start.
Even if he was quite violent and his mental state was a bit off.
Still, he could only rely on Kim Shinwoo.
But what came next from Kim Shinwoo was shockingly shocking.
So shocking that it wavered the trust the Lizard Beastman had in him.
“This will turn into second-hand goods if you hit it with that!!!”
“…….What?”
Suddenly losing composure, the Lizard Beastman let out a shocked sound, but the two simply continued their cheerful banter.
As if they cared not at all about his existence.
“You can’t sell it as new this way!!!”
“Oh my! How could I forget that!”
“Wait a minute! Everyone!”
So flustered that he relaxed his previously tense posture, the Lizard Beastman attempted to jump into their conversation.
However, this time, he couldn’t help but question his own eyes at what unfolded before him.
“So how should I teach instead?”
“Watch closely.”
She had been struck with such a shock that she could barely muster a word.
Maintaining consciousness was the best she could hope for.
And quite understandably so.
“From now on, there will be a demonstration by a skilled trainer.”
In an instant, Kim Shinwoo quickly moved his body.
He approached his one and only beloved family member far too closely.
*
And then, he slammed him forcefully into the ground.
*
