I didn't think that the tent I had chosen, which was in a very remote place from the other tents, would already be occupied by someone. And it turns out that person was an old beastman.
The first thing that caught my attention was not the two small round ears on top of his head, but I was surprised to see the wounds all over his body.
The way he walked into the tent also looked pathetic, as he limped along with a slight bow.
When he saw me, he first blinked his eyes, then he just kept his eyes calm and didn't make any extra movements.
Though I expected him to immediately put up a stance as if he was ready to fight. Because I heard from the poor soldiers that the people here are sensitive. But he kept his composure.
Was he the only one who remained calm when someone else entered his tent? I'm sure if it was someone else, they would directly attack me.
"Are you new here?"
"Yes, like that."
"Are you planning on choosing this tent? If so, then I don't mind sharing space in this small tent. However…"
He stopped talking and suddenly picked up a wooden box that was in the corner of the tent. He gave the wooden box to me. Then he slept on his back on the surface of the cloth spread on the floor.
While looking at me, he said, "Quickly help me treat the wounds on my body!"
I quickly opened the wooden box he gave me. And it turned out that there were several items to treat wounds. A kind of first aid box. There were bandages, cotton, and some leaves of herbal plants for treatment.
'No modern medicine, anyway.'
Because I already had experience in my previous life with various medicinal plants, I could tell what the function of the leaves inside the medicine box was without the help of the Judgment skill.
There was a time when I was injured in the middle of the forest. As usual, at that time I was running away from the chaos caused by war.
Because it was far away from villages, towns, cities, or places where people gathered, I was forced to rely on myself without being able to expect help.
In a state of injury all over my body, especially the severe wound on my leg, my only choice was to treat the wound on my leg first.
Luckily I was reading a book about herbal plants at that time so I could choose the herbs around me and could relieve the wound on my leg.
'I remember having to save a very long time to be able to buy the book.'
When my legs' ability to walk quickly returned, I quickly stepped away and managed to get to a safe place.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and do it! I will kick you out if you don't."
The old beastman forced me to quickly treat the wounds on his body.
With that, my mind managed to return to its original place.
Without much argument, I immediately put the herbal leaves into my mouth. I kept the herbal leaves in my mouth as I continued to chew them.
I can grind the herbs, but I prefer to chew them. Apart from being practical, saliva can also help heal wounds.
Then I sat beside his body.
First, I cleaned the thick dust that had stuck to the wounds all over his body. Then I took the herbs that I had chewed in my mouth.
Ptooey!
I spouted a few pieces of leaves onto the floor.
Then, I immediately put the chewed herbal leaves on the parts of his body that were injured.
Honestly, it's kind of disgusting.
I was not disgusted because I used to treat my own body. But, right now I'm treating an old beastman. So, it was a different experience.
"O-ouch! Could you be a little slower while doing this?"
He suddenly tilted his body slightly and acted as if he was in extreme pain. His two hands seemed to be trying to protect the wounds on his body. His eyes stared at me with death stares.
When he also tilted his legs to the side, I could see his tail. There was no mistake, he was a beastman from the bear tribe. A tribe that has great endurance abilities.
Seeing him acting in pain, I immediately looked at him as if I was looking at Callie, a beastman who likes to play with other people.
"Don't act like you're in pain, old man. Seeing you're a beastman from the bear tribe, you can't possibly feel such agonizing pain."
"Where did you hear about that?"
"Well, I have a beastman acquaintance too. And she also likes to play like what you just did."
"Ohh. It's rare to see a human having a beastman friend."
"Let me be clear. She is not my friend."
"If I may ask, what is your friend's name?"
He returned to his original position.
I took the bandages in the aid box. While covering his body with bandages, I replied, "Her name was Callie."
When I said Callie's name, he grabbed my wrist in a flash. His eyes suddenly became very serious.
"Callie Claws?"
He said in a heavy tone.
He lifted his upper body and tried to bring his face closer to mine.
However, I slapped him directly on his injured right cheek.
I freed my hand from his grip, so my hand could slap his cheek without hindrance. After all, my hands had finished bandaging the wounds on his body.
He pressed his cheeks together and made a face as if he was a grandpa who had been slapped by their grandson.
He wanted to spit out the words at me. But, I managed to ask first.
"How do you know her name?"
"How could I not know? She was someone who was very famous among the beastmen race. I'm sure everyone from the beastmen race recognized her."
"Oh. I didn't expect that she was someone famous. I only knew that she was someone who liked to play."
"Perhaps you don't know this, but even before I was cooped up here, I had heard rumors that she was the one who would later lead the beastmen race. Even then she was still a child."
'As expected of a character who would guide the hero in this world from behind the scenes.'
While continuing to talk about Callie being from the cat tribe or the cat tribe's assassination abilities, he put the back of his head back on the floor.
His face suddenly changed to that of an old man missing his family, as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
"By the way, what's your name, sir?"
I stopped his story midway.
"Ragnar. And you?"
"Mesties."
"If I may ask, why did you end up as a slave here?" he asked.
Do I have to tell him?
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to tell him a few things, considering he was someone who knew Callie.
At least I'm pretty sure he's not one to side with the rulers of this place.
After all, I'm not going to be specific or detailed. I'm just telling him about me receiving orders from Callie to free the beastmen who were kept as slaves here.
I didn't tell him how I met Callie or what the deal got me to free the slaves.
However, a strange conclusion was actually reached by Ragnar on his head.
"Do you want to win her heart? To the point that you are willing to disguise yourself as a slave here and plan to free the beastmen?"
He pointed his finger at my face and kept saying, "I was sure she's a popular woman now, so she could drug a human like you!"
"Stop making weird assumptions. Then, can you tell me your story?"
I lay on the other side of the tent.
Laying down my body, I intend to sleep while listening to his story.
However, he never spoke.
"I can't tell you."
"Oh come on. I'm not going to let you out with the other guys if you don't tell me. Are you sure you don't want to tell me now?"
"I don't know whether you'll be able to free the people here or not, but I don't want to leave here before I find the people I serve!"
He said this in very strong words. Full of pressure. He clenched his fists so tightly. A resolution radiated from his eyes.
"Is he also a slave here?"
"You could say that."
"Shouldn't I just release him with you?"
"Unfortunately, the place she's been locked up in is different from ours. Even though I'm sure she's locked up in this Nest of Slavery, I can't find her. That's why, I deliberately became the toy of the boss of this place so I can go to the district master and look for her. But sadly I couldn't find her."
"How long have you been cooped up here?"
"About 14 or 15 years."
"And you haven't found her in all that time?"
"Yes."
"If I may ask, who are the people you serve? It's fine if you tell me her name, right?!"
"Her name is Reine. Reine Rosewood."
When I heard the name, my eyes automatically widened.
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