Obsession of the Neglected 6-Star Heroes-Chapter 29

He falls deep into thought. How can he extract this man’s information in the most valuable way? His mind begins to churn.

From the look of this lazy fool, it’s clear he’s probably not a key figure.

If I play along, maybe he’s the second-in-command in some shady underworld gang.

Keyal stretches out his hand.

In an instant, black mist envelops his upper body.

The scattered aether condenses into a single mass.

“What—what’s...”

The man, who had been lying on the ground, tries to stand up again.

He couldn’t tell if what he was witnessing was reality or some delusion.

He looks up at Keyal once again.

No longer with the same complex feelings of fear and hatred. This time, the man gazes at him with reverence. Perhaps even admiration.

What is this…?

For the first time in his life, a man looked up at him with a sparkling gaze—not in fear, but with awe.

Keyal, the leader of the Edric Guild, had become a figure of fear across continents.

A half-demon was already an exceedingly rare and almost mythical existence. And yet, those like Keyal, roaming the lands and doing as they pleased, became objects of terror.

Just imagine someone who’s so strong that, if they ever lost control, they could drown people or burn them alive without even thinking.

Who wouldn’t be afraid?

...Of course, Keyal wasn’t quite a natural disaster level of power.

But for the first time, when a stranger looked at him with such bright eyes, Keyal felt a strange warmth.

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Has my reputation been reduced without me even noticing in the last 10 years?

***

A bead created by imitating a mold.

When he was still the commander of the Edric Guild, the Yohō’s orb—a 6★ Hero’s artifact—had been replicated to create a demonic bead that now floated gently in his grasp.

Keyal gazes into the abyss.

An opaque, ghostly silhouette flickers in the translucent substance. It forms a dark shadow, slowly revealing the image of a man.

The man wears a shabby, tattered robe similar to the one the man in front of him is wearing.

At first glance, it was hard to tell who he was. It was almost certain that this wasn’t Yohō.

If it were Yohō, at least three tails would be showing. But this one...

The man has no tails. That means he’s not a beastman; he’s a human.

So, there are humans in the Solum Kingdom after all...

Though it’s not something a former human like me can really comment on, the fact that humans—let alone those from the underworld—live in Solum is a rare thing.

Of course, Solum isn’t a discriminatory nation that persecutes outsiders.

Still, given that it was a country formed by beastmen who banded together during times of war, it’s no surprise that the treatment of humans and non-beast races is less favorable than that of beastfolk.

Imagine an Asian man from the East coming to a Western country where only white people live. No one would outright discriminate just based on race, but the difference in appearance and familiarity would still be very obvious.

But, let’s be honest. Even if no one outright calls him names like "Korean only! Kimchi eater!" or something extreme, there will always be subtle biases. It's natural.

In the same way, most people, without realizing it, will feel more comfortable around those who look like them. Subtle preferences exist, even if they aren’t consciously acknowledged.

For beastmen, treating humans and other races differently is natural when they step into a foreign land. After all, the differences in culture and habits would be much more apparent.

Keyal swipes through the air.

The magic, which had solidified in an instant, begins to scatter, and the orb loses its circular form.

As if his task was complete, the dark mist slowly dissipates, returning to its original state.

Keyal looks at the scene around him. The situation looks bleak, no matter how he looks at it—like a complete dead end.

“Ha…”

Keyal lets out a cold sigh.

It was as good as a failure, given that the man wasn’t even a beastman.

And to make things worse, this man seemed like someone far beneath him in rank.

What’s the point of all this... I’ve stepped on a wrong leg, haven’t I?

***

While Keyal focused on gathering information with his keen eyes, friction was escalating at the inn.

"...."

The elf's eyes burn with hostility, their gaze now seething with malice.

The Golden Dragon unsheathes its claws, grinding its teeth in frustration.

The two women stare directly at Reina.

Why are they doing this to me? Reina, caught in the confusion of the moment, cannot make sense of the situation.

Her body trembles uncontrollably.

"Why... why are you doing this?"

"Don't you know? You’re the one who understands it the best."

The elf’s lips curl into a twisted smile.

Her eyes and mouth form an arc, but there’s no real sense of mirth. The smile is far too empty. The air is thick with a malicious intent, like a knife pressing against Reina’s throat.

Reina’s pupils dilate in fear, trying to look away, but Rivera grabs her by the chin with an almost unnervingly swift movement.

Without a sound, she pulls Reina toward her, her grip so tight that it felt as though her jaw might snap with the slightest pressure.

If she exerted any force, Reina would certainly break.

Even a dragon like Rivera could easily destroy her with a single motion.

A former princess, now reduced to the state of a slave, Reina had no authority to refuse.

These women were loyal subordinates.

And here she was, nothing more than a slave.

Although Keyal, her master, likely wouldn't discriminate based on such trivial matters, Reina wasn’t sure if she was right in assuming that.

What if he does, though...?

A scraping noise cuts through the air.

Reina feels her chin gripped tightly as Rivera, with predatory eyes, stares down at her, inching closer.

The dragon sniffs the air as though she were a wild animal, recoiling in disgust as if smelling refuse.

The golden chains of Reina’s precious necklace—once a gift from her father—are violently snapped as Rivera's emotions spiral out of control.

"You—"

The Golden Dragon's voice, cold as ice, cuts through the silence, small and sharp, carrying a strange distortion.

Her voice vibrates like a ripple across the atmosphere, its very presence suffocating.

It makes Reina’s heart race with dread.

Rivera’s teeth grind again in irritation.

"Why... why does your body carry the scent of a male?"

Even a dragon, a creature of immense power, looks almost unrecognizable in this twisted state.

Her form exudes an ominous hunger, as if the darkness itself had consumed her very being. She isn’t just a dragon now, but something far more frightening—someone with a visceral, primal rage.

Reina, caught in the grip of fear, feels her body shudder. It's not even disgust she feels right now; it's the sheer, desperate desire to survive.

Her mind is consumed with a single, frantic thought: Please, let me live...

The Golden Dragon grabs Reina by the throat, pulling her roughly closer, its sharp claws threatening to pierce her skin.

She’s dragged toward the dragon’s glowing eyes, her own eyes locked in terror.

"If you don’t answer me... I’ll tear you apart," the Golden Dragon growls, her voice like a low growl.

"Why does your body... carry the scent of a male?"

"Why is your father’s dark magic inside of you? And what’s with this foul, rotten female scent?"

The “female scent” was what finally broke Rivera’s restraint.

The fact that Reina had somehow taken in her father’s magic was unsettling enough, but the scent of another female only amplified the tension between the already uneasy Rivera and Elena.

And now that one of these females had stepped foot into their territory, things were rapidly escalating.

This was a death sentence, Keyal’s menacing subordinates seemed to be signaling.

"Is this really true?"

With cold detachment, the elf, Elena, asks Rivera, her voice void of warmth.

Her choice to leave the questioning to Rivera, the beast with superior senses, was a pragmatic one. But her own lack of reaction—no tilt of the head or motion of her own—speaks volumes.

Rivera lets out a single, curt sound.

"Mm."

Reina has no idea that this single word, uttered with such stark indifference, has turned the atmosphere even colder for her.

She hadn’t even begun to grasp the gravity of her situation. She would soon face the wrath of both a Dragon and a protector of all life, Elena—two formidable beings she had to somehow contend with.

"So, why?"

"That... that’s..."

"Why does your body reek of a male?"

The question is repeated, but this time it only brings a bitter, sarcastic laugh from Elena.

The truth was clear—Reina had probably embraced her father, absorbed his dark magic, and, in all likelihood, sought his affection and desires when no one was looking.

And now, despite all her denials, Rivera was sure of it.

Reina could not deny it, and no matter what she said, Rivera would always be certain.

"You. You really want to die, don't you?"

Another rival has appeared.