It Really Wanted to Live

As the continent's most widely used language and writing system, Common Tongue was not particularly hard to learn.

Provided one had enough intelligence.

Kobolds clearly did not.

Though legend held that they were the lowly descendants of Giant Dragons, they spoke the Dragon Language mostly through guttural sounds and sharp bursts, occasionally mixed with rolled tongues and strange hisses to form a phrase or two.

And those phrases could only express simple intentions.

"Charge," "follow," "help," "run"...

They could not string those words into a full sentence with a subject, verb, and object.

But one Kobold wore a robe that set him apart from his kin at a glance. As if afraid Black Snake might misunderstand,

he used the obscure Dragon Language to direct his kin while translating his own orders into Common Tongue:

"...And, cellar, everything, bring here!"

At his command, one Kobold stopped short and looked back.

"Xi Geth Varyk? (There, rocks.)"

"Rua! Yes!"

The robed Kobold waved him along with an air of authority, urging him not to waste time. The other scratched the back of his head and left, looking puzzled.

Seeing that the two Mercenaries had the situation under control, Tang Qi no longer needed to be quite so careful. He hurried over, feigning panic, and Gravel spotted him.

"Poet, didn't I tell you to stay put at the entrance?"

Tang Qi panted as though something terrible had really happened.

"We—we were attacked!"

"What!?"

Both Mercenaries' expressions changed. Gravel rushed up to the robed Kobold, seized his robe, and sprayed him with spittle.

"You've got more accomplices? You dare play us for fools!?"

The Kobold was shorter than Gravel, and he had already seen what the man could do—

He had gathered every member of his tribe and prepared to hold this rest area, hoping to overwhelm the two of them with sheer numbers.

Then he had seen that tower shield come crashing down and crush several of his kin.

Now he was plainly terrified. He rushed to explain.

"We, all, here!"

With some effort, he swept his arms into a circle, pointed at the thirty remaining Kobolds, and repeated himself.

"All!"

Tang Qi explained too.

"It wasn't a Kobold. It was a yellow-green blob of—slime, like a ball of snot!

It was eating a Kobold corpse at first, but then it came after us. I escaped while Jackal was fighting it!"

This was no time to explain too much.

Even the most airtight lie had cracks.

Better to leave gaps for them to fill in themselves. That made it easier to believe.

"Eats, us, strange thing!" shouted the Kobold in Gravel's grip.

Both Mercenaries were seasoned adventurers. After hearing the description, they exchanged a look.

"Ochre Jelly monster?"

They had seen that kind of ooze before.

But judging the dangers of their surroundings and keeping watch had always been Markwen's job. He was the veteran Ranger.

So neither of them had realized Ochre Jelly monsters lurked in this cave.

"Jackal can't handle that thing. I'll take a look."

Gravel grabbed his mace and tower shield, then turned to Tang Qi.

"Poet, lead the way!"

The friction between the two half-baked adventurers had been plain to see. They did not even bother asking why Tang Qi had abandoned Jackal and fled alone.

Who cared whether an enemy lived or died?

Tang Qi nodded repeatedly and led Gravel straight back the way he had come.

To his surprise, Gravel said, "Poet, you're almost too kind to be human.

You're not even leading me in circles through the tunnels?

If we got there later, we might get to see how he died."

So they really weren't on the same side?

"I'd rather see him wailing for help."

Tang Qi was not sure whether Gravel was testing him, so he merely made a joke.

Only when they reached the open space by the entrance and saw nothing inside the blob of slime but a human skeleton with a few scraps of flesh clinging to it did Gravel slap his forehead.

"Looks like he can't wail anymore."

Of course Tang Qi had no need to take a detour.

He had estimated that the round trip through the tunnels would take at least twenty minutes.

That was plenty of time for the Ochre Jelly monster to digest the body.

"Well, this is awkward. We did know the man. Should we at least collect his remains?

His soul needs to rest before he can be reborn..."

Gravel stared at Jackal's ribs as he mulled it over.

"Maybe a Necromancer will visit someday, prop up his bones, and make him a skeleton foot soldier. Wouldn't that count as a 'new life'?"

Tang Qi had no desire to collect his enemy's remains.

"Sorry. Just a joke."

"No, I like your sense of humor."

Gravel pictured it and burst out laughing.

"As for this ooze... once it's full, it'll crawl back into some crack or other. Leave it be.

Unless it's starving, it won't go after living people. Adventurers' armor is tough on the teeth and hard to digest."

Gravel patted Tang Qi on the shoulder. "Let's head back."

Somewhat reassured, Tang Qi made one final probe.

"Come to think of it, weren't you companions? Jackal's dead, and you seem a little... calm."

"Companions? Maybe.

But I've never got along with the thugs from Black Reef Port.

They've spent so long keeping their heads down and being afraid that everything they do has a sneaky air to it. They're like rathead fish in a filthy drain—

Ever seen one? They're a Black Reef Port specialty. Carnivorous fish with heads like rats.

They usually scavenge little fish and worms from the drains, but their flesh is firm and delicious. Cut off the head, and you can even serve the meat raw with a dipping sauce."

Gravel stamped his foot and spat.

"He might be good at getting things done, but if we hadn't taken a job from the same employer, I wouldn't even invite him out for a drink—

What kind of man stays armed to the teeth like a bandit when he should be enjoying good wine?

He hasn't the first idea how to savor a drink! He's too busy baring his teeth at civilians. Where's the fun in that?"

Well, Gravel had clearly been holding that in for a long time.

"A carnivorous fish that ends up on the menu..."

Tang Qi smacked his lips.

"Big fish eating little fish. That does suit him."

Jackal had been thoroughly digested, so the two did not linger. When they returned to Black Snake, they found the Kobolds carrying out crates of Star Plums one by one.

Tang Qi could even see the robed Kobold at the entrance to a cave, rapping one of his kin while scolding him.

"...Useless, too, slow!"

That was how he translated it, but something felt off to Tang Qi.

The cadence of that "scolding" held far fewer guttural sounds and hisses. It even rose and fell like fluent speech.

Black Snake, meanwhile, listened to Gravel's account. His eyes narrowed slightly as he glanced at Tang Qi, then he murmured,

"A shame. We've lost someone willing to do the dirty work."

That made sense. Jackal had known so little about the dungeon that he had hardly seemed like an adventurer who had fought alongside Gravel and Black Snake.

Tang Qi let out a quiet breath of relief and looked toward the Kobolds carrying wooden crates in pairs.

He steered the conversation back on course.

"So you found the Star Plums?"

Black Snake pointed at the crates.

"They stole them. They said meatworms have been getting scarcer in the cave, so they've had to hunt outside. The town's only a few kilometers away, so they went after the Star Plums."

Gravel laughed. "When we came out of the tunnel, these Kobolds still thought they could fight back. Then I smashed a few of their heads."

Tang Qi still had doubts he could not resolve, so he spoke up.

"That Kobold is a little strange..."

"Too clever?"

Black Snake nodded in agreement.

"Every group has its standouts. He probably planned the theft. It's my first time seeing a Kobold that can speak, too."

After finishing his scolding, the robed Kobold hurried over with an ingratiating smile that looked almost human.

"Twenty, all, counted!"

Then he dragged out another crate. A shallow layer of gold coins lined its bottom, dozens of them in all.

On top lay a bow and arrows, a short blade, a sword and shield, even a fine-looking short leather coat and a bloodstained suit of well-made splint armor sized for a human.

It looked like the gear left behind by adventurers. Tang Qi could even tell that the party had included a Warrior and a Ranger—

But their equipment was remarkably intact. The Kobolds' bone hammers could not have dented that splint armor.

How had that party fallen to these Kobolds?

Or were Black Snake and Gravel stronger than he had thought?

"Stealing, wrong!

Kuru, sorry!

All, give you!"

The robed Kobold pushed the dead adventurers' possessions toward them, dropped to his knees, and knocked his head against the ground again and again.

"Surrender, spare me!"

There was no mistaking it.

He really wanted to live.