On the street, all kinds of Mink Tribe members passed Werther.
Gorillas, monkeys, canines, felines—the stream of minks never stopped.
Werther looked utterly relaxed, as though he had come on vacation rather than to kill Zunesha.
After crossing the street, Werther soon reached the Whale Forest.
At its entrance, he found two minks standing guard.
They belonged to the Guardians, the Mink Tribe's armed force.
Though the Mink Tribe had little contact with the outside world, its members were formidable.
Even mink children could fight well, and every one of them could use electricity.
The electricity they wielded was static, generated by friction in their fur.
It could not kill outright, but it caused enemies tremendous pain. It was a gift of their race.
Werther ignored the two Guardians and walked straight past them.
"Hm? Something feels wrong. Blackback, did you notice anything?"
A leopard mink frowned and scanned his surroundings.
"Pedro, stop being so jumpy. There won't be any enemies. I've never even seen one in my life."
Blackback was a gorilla mink covered in black fur. He was eating a banana.
"No. What's this ominous feeling?"
Pedro had sailed beyond Zou before and was far more vigilant than Blackback.
"Is that... wine? Blackback, did you bring some today? I told you not to drink fruit wine while we're on guard."
Pedro gave Blackback a disapproving look.
Puzzled, Blackback sniffed the air as he chewed his banana.
Blackback's sense of smell was keener than Pedro's.
"I didn't bring any. Why would I drink on guard duty? You know me, Pedro.
"And I've never smelled wine like this before. It seems to be brewed from some kind of plant sprout. There's blood in the air, too. Faint, but definitely there."
Pedro's pupils contracted.
"This is bad. A powerful enemy may