"Hey, are you positive there was a beastfolk settlement here?"
Sado, the female boss of the Sadotela bandit gang operating in the northwest of the Norther Block, glanced back over her shoulder and questioned her subordinate in a low, menacing growl.
"Y-Yes, boss! It was definitely up ahead!"
Approaching the young man with short black hair who had offered that timid reply,
"Then why the hell isn't there any sign of the trail markers you lot left?!"
she grabbed him by the collar and roared in his face.
The scouts of Sadotela always left markers along the clearest route to any settlement targeted for a raid.
Everything had been going smoothly up to a point. But then an abrupt black fog had swallowed their surroundings, leaving them wandering aimlessly through the woods. By the time the haze finally lifted, not only had the markers leading to the beastfolk settlement vanished, but even the ones meant to guide their retreat were gone without a trace.
"I haven't the foggiest clue about that either, boss..."
The young bandit shook his head in complete bewilderment.
"Damn it all!"
Shoving her subordinate aside, she slammed her fist into a nearby trunk.
Having caught wind of rumors that peddlers were traveling in and out of the Norther Forest—situated at the northwesternmost edge of the Norther Block, a region that was supposed to be completely deserted—they had thoroughly scouted the area and pinpointed a beastfolk settlement hidden deep within the woods.
Beastfolk women and children fetched exorbitant prices. Capturing and selling just a dozen or so would yield a small fortune. Lately, the kingdom's officials had been tightening their surveillance, so there was no reason to pass up such a lucrative score.
There was only one complication: rumors suggested a beastfolk hero from the previous war might reside in that very village. After taking every necessary precaution, they had set out in high spirits, only to run headfirst into this bizarre setback.
"Aah, aah, aaah... getting turned around by a little bit of fog? Are you really sure your lackeys are up to this?"
An asymmetrical-haired fop with blue locks—long on the left and short on the right—spoke up around a massive yawn. The man, clad in a coat lined with white feathers, was Sugar. He was an assassin hired specifically for this operation. He might not have made a renowned name for himself yet, but he had come recommended by that trusted informant, so his lethal talents ought to be genuine.
"Don't worry about it."
Putting on a purely baseless front, she signaled her underlings with a sharp glare, sending them scurrying off in a frantic search.
A considerable amount of time slipped by before the men finally returned around dusk.
"What took you so damn long?!"
As she barked in irritation, the subordinate wore that same perplexed look.
"Well, the settlement was there, but..."
He hesitated, mumbling awkwardly under his breath.
"What is it?! Spit it out already!"
Straightening his posture on reflex, the lackey blurted out,
"Boss! There weren't any beastfolk in that settlement—it was crawling with cat-type monsters!"
He delivered a report that defied all expectations.
"Cat-type monsters?! What kind of bullshit are you feeding me?! There's no way in hell creatures like that live in the Norther Forest!"
The beasts dwelling within the Norther Forest were formidable, but they were almost exclusively solitary predators that never formed packs. The idea of them establishing a settlement was absurd.
"It's the honest truth, boss! They were definitely cat-type monsters!"
Seeing the sheer, uncharacteristic desperation on her subordinate's face, the hot blood rushing to her head quickly cooled.
"Were they truly cat-type monsters?"
Forcibly reigning in her mounting excitement, she pressed him once more.
"Yes! I saw them with my own two eyes!"
"I-Is that so... Then just past here lies that super-rare beast..."
When it came to cat-type monsters, that meant sheep cats—the rarest of the rare. They were creatures practically indistinguishable from beastfolk, and selling them to perverted nobles with a taste for monsters would bring in wealth that made ordinary beastfolk look like pocket change.
Under normal circumstances, monsters intelligent enough to form civil settlements were native exclusively to Northground, far to the north of Eastend. Northground was perched atop sheer cliffs, its northern expanse comprising the sovereign territory ruled by Aldebaran, one of the Four Great Demon Kings. It was a forbidden realm where ordinary humans dared not tread. Consequently, even for the continent's finest hunters, capturing a sheep cat was an undertaking of the utmost difficulty.
"Isn't that great?! Isn't that just greeeeat?! This boring little job just got a whole lot of flavor, didn't it?! I wonder what they'll taste like once I butcher them!"
Sugar cried out with an ecstatic expression, wrapping his arms around his own trembling frame.
"Hold on, our cut is—"
As Sado hastily moved to protect her profits, Sugar grimaced in distaste.
"I know, I know. Do whatever you want with the young girls and the brats. As long as I get to carve up powerful monsters, I couldn't care less."
"Fine. That works for me!"
So that was his kink. In that case, things were simple. A skilled killer who doubled as a bloodthirsty butcher was practically ideal for this raid. That informant had made an exquisite pick—young though he was, the broker certainly had an eye for talent.
"So? What's the plaaan? If you'd like, I wouldn't mind doing the honors myself, you knooow~?"
"A frontal assault would cost us too many men. We're sticking to the original plan."
What a ridiculous notion. She couldn't afford to let him run wild and damage the merchandise. That butcher was strictly an insurance policy.
"I suppose that's how you folks do things. Well, suit yourself, but make it quick, alright?"
His frame shuddered once more, his face dripping with twisted lust.
(Tch! Sick freak!)
Swallowing her disgust, she swept her gaze across her crew.
"We proceed as planned. Everyone, get to your posts!"
At her sharp command, the bandits sprang into motion.
Watching them disperse, Sado let a quiet smirk slip through.
(Luck is on my side! To think I'd stumble into a golden goose like this!)
Already envisioning the mountain of gold awaiting her in the near future, she muttered the words softly to herself.