Grim, who was walking at the head of the group, stopped at a fork. From a dark passage descending beside him, he faintly caught the scent of humans.
A bear's sense of smell was several times keener than even a hunting dog's, and Grim had inherited that trait when he transformed.
After catching the human scent, Grim went no farther. He turned around, plopped down on the ground, and began gesturing with his forepaws as he spoke to Klethi.
Before transforming into a great bear, Grim could speak with animals, but once he became a bear, he could only speak the language of beasts.
At times like this, Klethi, who had come along with them, became the perfect interpreter.
"My lord, Grim says the passage descending to the left smells of humans. The Half-orcs probably fled up this other passage."
Grim let out another low growl.
Klethi continued translating. "Grim asks whether we can check on those people first. They aren't in very good condition."
Amid those faint odors, Grim had smelled blood and the stench of untreated, rotting wounds.
Grim knew that once a human's body began to smell like that, death was not far away.
The only exception was the hospital in Wilderness Town. Grim had seen such injuries treated there, and the patients had recovered very well.
Only fifteen years old and kindhearted, Grim knew that human slaves were probably being held in this passage. Faced with the choice between pursuing Half-orcs and saving humans, he decisively chose the latter, even though his orders were to track the Half-orcs.
After explaining his suspicions, Grim's enormous bear face took on an anxious expression. He gazed imploringly at the king he served, hoping Allen would rescue the wounded people first.
In the firelight, Allen found it very strange. How